


Badge's and Barmaid's

by Anonymous_Writer2311



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: AU, Angst, Cop!Vanessa, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Police, Slow Burn, Vanity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-06-20 05:06:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 56,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15526683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Writer2311/pseuds/Anonymous_Writer2311
Summary: AU. After trashing Joe Tate’s house, Charity gets questioned by the new copper in town DI Vanessa Woodfield. The two are instantly attracted and intrigued by each other. But Charity isn’t about to let another copper get their hooks into her again...no matter how adorable she looks in those little pants suits.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Had this idea floating about my head for a while. Take's place early January

She knew that she might have gone a little too far this time. But she was angry, and could you blame her? Joseph freakin’ Tate, of all people she never thought she’d lay eyes on again, not that she had seen much of him in the first place. Apart from the occasional picture around the house, he didn’t exist and right now Charity wished that it was the case. He screwed Debbie over, made her into a shell of a woman and then went and made her homeless an all. He was a monster, a prick and lower than shit itself. That’s what gave Charity the idea in the first place, granted it may have been utterly disgusting, but it was what he deserved. Debbie was still chuckling from her place beside Charity, they had just been handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car, but from the outside looking it, it seemed like the Mum of two didn’t have a care in the world.

 

“Did you see the look on his face? Priceless!” The brunette laughed, as she shared a loving glance with her Mother. Charity was glad to see her smiling again, and took extra pleasure in knowing that she had been part of the reason it was there.

 

“But it looks like we’re the only ones in the shit this time.” Charity winked, her signature smirk playing on her lips. She’d never live this one down, she knew that. She knew that Cain would take great pleasure in bringing it up, without fail, and she already knew that Chas was currently thinking up shit related jokes to welcome her home with. But she didn’t care, she’d do anything for her kids and today she could hold her head high, she had been a Mum, a proper one.

 

“Thanks for this Mum. I know it’s not the best of situations, especially since you’re trying to stay out of trouble.” Debbie muttered once the laughing had finally died down between the two.

 

“Yeah, and why did I want to do that?” The blonde woman gently placed her hand on Debbie’s knee, as best she could considering that she was still in handcuffs.

 

“So you could be there for Noah and Moses.” The younger woman replied, brushing her fingers against her Mother’s, as she smiled sadly. She hated to admit it, but she was a little bit jealous of Noah and Moses. Sure they both had a bad start, but at least they were growing up with their Mum, something Debbie used to wish for when she was a kid.

 

“No, so I could be there for all my kids!” Charity playfully slapped her knee, before slumping back against the car door so that she was facing her. “And while this might not be the typical way of supporting your daughter after a breakup, I’m here for whatever you need Debs. Wrecking a house, egging Joe Tate. Heck, I’d even watch one of them chick flicks and inhale a gallon of ice cream if it would make you feel better.”

 

“You love them just as much as I know, and you know it?” Debbie challenged the blonde, staring intensely until she broke the older woman.

 

“Alright, I’ll admit to enjoying the odd film.”

 

“I knew it!” She silently celebrated with a small dance, letting her problems fade for just a second. “Look, I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but-” She was quickly cut off by her Mother’s raised hand.

 

“I know babe, me too.” They shared a knowing smile, they had finally reached this place and Charity wasn’t going to let it slip away any time soon.

 

“You two quite finished in there?” They both jumped as the gravelly voice travelled into the backseat, both women somehow forgetting that they weren’t alone.

 

“Do one!” Charity shot daggers back through the rearview mirror, smirking as she saw a look of annoyance creep onto the officers face.

 

“Oi, I’d watch my mouth if I were you lady.” He shot back, so tempted to turn and face her. She wasn’t scared though, she had seen worse, lived through worse and she had vowed years ago to never let a Copper get the better of her, ever!

 

“Well I’d wash mine if I were you, can smell ya a mile off.” She smirked back, causing his partner who was driving to let out a low chuckle.

 

“That’s it, I’m charging ya!” He huffed, as he quickly spun around in his seat to face the smug pub owner.

 

“For what?” She asked in a sing-song tone, “You can’t charge me for shit…well.” She rolled her eyes, as his face started to turn red. Obviously, he hadn’t been expecting someone who had a good knowledge of the law and her rights whenever in these situations.

 

“Ignore her!” His partner finally snapped, as he pulled on his coat, forcing him to turn back around in his seat. “And you two, try and keep the chatting to a minimum, yeah?”

 

“Sir yes, sir.” Charity mock saluted, before taking his advice and remaining quiet for the duration of the car ride. Hoping and praying that she and Debbie would get out of this without too much trouble.

 

***

 

As far as first days went, Vanessa couldn’t really complain. She had an enjoyable meeting with her supervisor, got to know a few of her colleagues and was even called on a case involving a home invasion and damage to property. Hotten Police Station hadn’t been her first choice, but after her Dad and long-lost sister had settled down in a small village close by, she knew that it would be a more convenient place for her to work. It gave her a chance to spend some more time with her Dad, and for both her and her son Johnny to get to know Tracy. Vanessa had only met her a handful of times since she came back into their Dad’s life and she found that she rather enjoyed the younger woman’s company. Sure she was a bit trivial at times, but she was a good person and Vanessa liked that quality in a person. That’s why she became a Police Officer in the first place, she wanted to believe that she could find the good in everyone and thought that starting with the ones who had done some wrong would be the best idea.

 

“Woodfield, those two home invaders are being processed now. Which one do you want?” Matthew’s - her newly appointed partner - asked. He was a much older man and more rounded than she had expected. But he had been nice to her, more than nice and she was grateful for that.

 

“Not bothered, take your pick.” She smiled back before he dropped a file on her desk. It wasn’t the biggest she had ever seen, but it wasn’t the smallest either. Vanessa had a funny feeling she was about to have her work cut out for her. “Let’s see what we’ve got here, Miss Charity Dingle.” She whispered to herself as she opened the file, determined to get through a good chunk of it before interviewing her.

 

Armed with two piping hot cups of coffee, and Charity’s file tucked under her arm, Vanessa strutted into interview room 3. She was a little taken aback when she came face to face with the blonde woman. She looked so flawless, so put together and definitely not like the woman she had just spent an hour reading about.

 

“Hello, I’m Detective inspector Woodfield.” Vanessa smiled brightly, earning a scowl in response. “Coffee?” She asked nicely while holding up one of the cups.

 

“Aye, go on then.” Charity mumbled, her face showing no emotions as Vanessa gently set the two cups down. She didn’t look like your average police officer, she looked like she was actually happy to be there, and judging by the perfectly pressed suit, and unscuffed shoes, she was new.

 

“Milk, sugar?” She asked as she placed the folder down, hovering as she waited for an answer.

 

“Black’s alright.” The blonde smirked, internally celebrating her luck at getting stuck with a newbie. “Can we get this over with or what?” She snapped once Vanessa finally took her seat opposite her.

 

“As you wish Miss Dingle. Let’s take a look-see here then.” She said with a pop, as she skimmed over the notes the officers had provided. “I guess my first question is, why did you do it?” Vanessa asked bluntly, as she watched Charity take a drawn-out sip of the hot liquid.

 

“I did it because that little toe rat screwed over my daughter! He left her and her two kids homeless, less than a few weeks after Christmas.” Charity snapped, slightly impressed when she saw that her little outburst didn’t affect the blonde at all.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that, I know how hard it can be when you’ve got kids.” Vanessa smiled sympathetically, as she made a few notes. “But, surely there would have been a better way to go about this? You didn’t have to trash his house...and ruin his carpet.”

 

“When you gotta go,” The barmaid shrugged, trying to bring that cute smile back onto the DI’s face.

 

“Do you realise how serious this is Miss Dingle?” Vanessa’s face held no emotion, as she leaned closer to Charity, noting how the blonde seemed to try and hide away as she did so.

 

“It’s Charity! I’d prefer Charity.” She spoke clearly and sharply, making Vanessa retreat slightly and take a sip of her own coffee.

 

“Alright. Do you realise how serious this is, Charity?” She asked again, hoping for an answer this time. “With your record, if this went to court you could end up back in jail.”

 

“It was a heat of the moment thing, and I’ll say to you what I’ve said to him. He deserved everything, and then some!” She snapped, standing abruptly and knocking the chair backwards.

 

“I understand that you’re upset-” Vanessa tried to speak, but was quickly cut off.

 

“Upset? No, I am livid!” The taller blonde snapped.

 

“But, you of all people should know by now, that lashing out doesn’t accomplish anything.” The DI stood, making Charity smirk and think that she would probably seem more intimidating if she wasn’t five foot nothing, and cute as a button with her face all scrunched up. The taller blonde quickly shook those thoughts away, she was a copper, a pig…just like him, no matter how nice she tried to seem.

 

“Made me and Debs feel a whole lot better.” Charity shrugged, sounding a lot calmer as she let herself rest against the wall, arms crossed tightly over her chest while she waited for DI Woodfield to make the next move.  

 

“Mr Tate will be in tomorrow morning to give his statement. You are free to go until we decide what charges you’ll be faced with.” Vanessa said bluntly as she gathered her files.  

 

“Yippee!” Charity shook her hands sarcastically, as Vanessa tried to hold back the smile that was playing on her lips. Charity was funny, Vanessa couldn’t deny her that and she was actually looking forward to their next meeting.

 

“I’ll have an officer escort you out, Miss Dingle.” Vanessa threw over her shoulder, as she strutted back out of the interview room.  

 

“Hey!” Charity shouted just as Vanessa was about to leave the room. “For future reference, milk and three sugars yeah?” She added with a wink, as she raised the almost empty coffee cup, receiving a subtle smirk in response before the blonde Detective disappeared. _She’s a cop, she’s one of them._ Charity had to keep telling herself as she thought of how adorable DI Woodfield looked in her little pants suit, and ignored the stirring feeling in her stomach as she thought of the possibility of seeing her again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Happy Birthday!” The small group of Dingles shouted as Charity paraded into the small kitchen, having just enjoyed her one lie-in she gets a year. Chas, Debbie and Cain stood by the table nursing a cup of tea, while Noah and Moses ran to greet their Mother, presenting her with handmade cards and a gift bag of presents. She hadn’t expected any of this, especially after the lashing her and Debbie got last night once they finally made it home from the station. Apparently, Sarah had seen the whole thing and didn’t take kindly to her Mother and Grandmother getting arrested in front of the whole village.

 

“Thanks, everyone you shouldn’t have.” She cooed while placing a small kiss on her boy’s heads.

 

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to have a crap birthday, now would we?” Cain let out a hearty laugh, as Charity stomped over to the adult’s, a look that could kill plastered on her face.

 

“Okay, make your jokes! I don’t care! The look on that asshole’s face was worth it!” The tall blonde stuck her tongue out at her ex, surprised that he had even bothered to show up in the first place. “And I don’t see you doing anything about him, do I?”

 

“None of us will be doing anything else Mother!” Debbie scolded gently as she handed a cuppa over to her. “Sarah had a point last night, we could end up in serious trouble for what we did yesterday.”

 

“He doesn’t have the balls to press charges.” Cain chuckled, as Debbie’s two kids skipped into the room, their arms full of crisps that had pinched from the cellar.

 

“True, but revenge makes you do dangerous and disgusting things.” Chas winked, making the scowl on Charity’s face deepen.

 

“Well this is turning into quite the birthday ain’t it.”

 

“Oh, shut your gob for once, and open your presents!” Chas shouted, her cackle carrying through the small home.

 

***

 

Matthew’s had called it a clean cut case. Opened and closed. Meaning that he was no longer interested in dealing with the two Dingle women. Over their morning briefing, the older officer had taken great pleasure in filling Vanessa in on all things Dingle, urging her to pass it off and chase a real first case. But something didn’t sit right with Vanessa. As far as the Dingle’s long list of offences went, this was pretty low on the severity scale, surely if they wanted to cause Mr Tate some serious damage, they could have easily. Vanessa couldn’t shake the feeling, so she took it upon herself to see this one through.

 

“Hello, I’m Detective Inspector Woodfield. The officer in charge of your case against Charity and Deborah Dingle.” Vanessa extended a small hand out to the well-dressed man, who stared smugly at it before gently grazing their hands together.

 

“Joseph Tate, but Joe will also be acceptable.” He nodded, his fancy pants demeanour very off-putting to the blonde Detective.

 

“Okay, well we took both women’s statements yesterday and it’s looking like this was a spare of the moment attack, that seems to have been triggered by some sort of revenge plot.” Vanessa began to explain as she flicked through her notes, and the notes Matthew’s gave her. She couldn’t help but smirk slightly as she thought back on her own interview with Charity. She held so much swagger, and pride in what she had done to the man and that intrigued the DI. “Can you tell us anything about that?”

 

“I recently ended my relationship with Debbie, and she and her Mother aren’t taking it so well,” Joe said, his voice monotone and emotionless.

 

“They put mentioned that you were the reason that Deborah and her children are now homeless. Can you touch on that please?” The small blonde had to bite her tongue, ever since having Johnny she’s been prone to saying things before thinking when it comes to children, and with his smug attitude, she could feel an outburst on the tip of her tongue.

 

“I bought a house. She lived in it for a few weeks. I want to sell it.” He answered bluntly as if he was taking pleasure in what he had done to the Mother of two. “It’s pretty simple Officer.”

 

“Detective Inspector.” Vanessa hissed through gritted teeth, before shaking her annoyance away. “As far as we are concerned, this is a pretty clear-cut case. There are witnesses, officers’ reports from the scene and the admissions from both Charity and Deborah Dingle, that can be used.”

 

“What are they looking at?” He smirked, as he eyed the Detective’s messy notes.

 

“Up to five years each,” Vanessa replied sadly, she had spent a lot of time going through Charity’s file. She had been through so much her entire life, even ended up having a kid inside and everything and Vanessa didn’t think that she deserved this.

 

“No, that won’t work.” Joe clicked his tongue against his teeth, before leaning back in the plastic chair. “What if I choose not to press charges?”

 

“Then we don’t have a case, and they get off with a warning.” The Detective was shocked, she had seriously thought he was about to demand more time inside for both women.

 

“I want to speak to them.” He nodded abruptly.

 

“Are you sure that’s wise? They were pretty clear on their feelings towards you yesterday.” Vanessa was sceptical, she saw the hatred burning in Charity’s eyes and could see this meeting ending in bloodshed, mainly his.

 

“Which is why I want to do it in a controlled environment,” Joe smirked, leaning forward he gently tapped the metal table.

 

“Here?”

 

“I’m sure you can make that happen, right Detective Inspector?” He smiled smugly, making sure to draw out her job title.

 

“I’ll see what I can do Mr Tate.” She smirked back, before excusing herself, knowing that if she had stayed any longer she’d want to wipe that ignorant smirk off his face. She grew up around jerks like Joseph Tate, entitled babies who think they can buy someone and they throw them away when they get bored.

 

“I thought I told you to pass this off, Woodfield?” Matthew’s deep voice caught the blonde woman off guard, making her jump slightly.

 

“It’s better than paperwork.” She shrugged while straightening her mustard jumper, deciding to go a little more casual today, while also making her look somewhat professional.

 

“What’s mister fancy pants want to do?” The older man questioned as he handed her a cup of coffee in her signature yellow Mother’s Day mug, that Johnny had painted at playgroup last year.

 

“He wants to talk to them.” Vanessa let out a frustrated sigh, before taking a large gulp of her coffee.

 

“That’s ballsy. You gonna set it up?” He tilted his head, prompting them to walk towards their desks.

 

“Dunno.”

 

“Hey, beats paperwork right?” Matthew’s teased, his deep laugh filling the empty room. “And that’s one meeting, I wouldn’t mind sitting in on.”

 

“You’ve got a point.” She chuckled, as she pulled out her personal stash of biscuits, offering him a few. “Guess I’ve got a phone call to make,”

 

“And two feisty Dingle’s to deal with.” The older man winked as he began to dunk his biscuits into his mug.

 

***

 

The small celebration was well on its way, the kids – and Cain – were digging into the cake, Charity had opened and loved all of her presents and now the three Dingle women were stood in the kitchen, nursing champagne and quietly moaning about Joe Tate. Debbie had wanted to put it all behind her, take her daughter’s advice and be a good Mum. But Charity was like a broken record when she had a vendetta against someone, and he was no exception.

 

“I mean, can you believe the nerve of him! Thinking he can take on the Dingles?” She fake gasped as she necked her third glass, the effects not quite hitting her just yet. “I know I’ve said it all before-”

 

“So maybe you should quit while you’re ahead,” Debbie muttered under her breath, earning a playful eye roll from Chas, while her Mother remained blissfully unaware of her words.

 

“But he’s a flamin’ psychopath! Just like his Father!” She exclaimed while pouring another drink.

 

“You mean the Father of you-” Chas tried to joke, but was quickly cut off when she saw a look of pure fury creep onto her cousin’s face.

 

“Shut it, Chas! I’m not ready to have that conversation with him yet!” Charity whisper-shouted, venom laced in her words. She wanted to put off telling Noah anything about his Father, and that side of his family for as long as possible.

 

“Then maybe you should stop running your mouth off, and just enjoy this lovely party I planned for you then!” The brunette winked, clinking their glasses together forcefully.

 

“Fine.” The blonde pub owner snarled through gritted teeth.

 

“Fine!” Chas shot back, their staring contest intensifying.

 

“You two are like a bunch of teenagers.” Debbie’s laugh quickly lightened the mood, before her phone buzzed to life on the kitchen counter. “Oh, wait. I should probably take this.” She muttered when she saw a private number flash onto her screen.

 

“Hi, is that Deborah Dingle?” Vanessa’s voice was sweet yet firm.

 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Debbie responded, rolling her eyes at the use of her full name. She had always hated it and had no problem reminding her Mother of that.

 

“I’m Detective Inspector Woodfield.” She started, pausing as she quickly rifled through her note’s looking for the bullet-pointed list she had made seconds before.

 

“Alight, what’s this about? I’m in the middle of a family party.” The brunette snapped, not in the mood to be dealing with an obvious rookie.

 

“Sorry to disturb you, Miss Dingle. I met with Mr Tate earlier today, and I’d like for both you and Charity Dingle to come to the station as soon as possible.” Vanessa spoke clearly, trying to hide the sudden rush of annoyance that fell over her at the mere mention of Joesph Tate’s name. She had always tried to remain impartial, but something about that man didn’t sit right with her.

 

“So, he is pressing charges then?” Debbie whispered, afraid of Sarah honing in on her conversation.

 

“That will all be discussed down at the station Miss Dingle. Can you pass on the message to your Mother, or would you like me to call her separately?” The DI asked, that same smirk playing on her lips as she once again thought of the blonde woman.

 

“No, she’s here.” The younger Dingle woman spoke bluntly, catching Charity’s attention.

 

“Great. Thank you for you-” Vanessa was quickly cut off, as Debbie frustratedly hit the end call button and stormed back over to her Mother.

 

“Who was that babe?” The blonde woman asked, taking a sip of her glass before it was rudely snatched from her hand.

 

“DI Wood…something. We are needed down at the station.” Charity’s interest perked up, _DI Woodfield_ , she repeated in her head, looking forward to seeing the small Detective for some reason. She hadn’t been able to get her out of her mind all night, there was no denying that she was an extremely attractive person, but there was something else that had sparked Charity’s interest. She wasn’t like any copper she had met before, but then again, they’re all like that in the beginning. They lure you into a false sense of security, and then they snap and there is no escaping their clutches.

 

“Is this about the house?” Sarah spoke up, setting her cake down as she quickly moved to hug her Mother.

 

“Yeah sweetheart, but don’t worry okay.” Debbie winked as she placed a motherly kiss on her forehead. Charity was in awe of Debbie most days, she was a proper good Mum, the kind Charity wished she was.

 

“I’m not going. Got a pub to run, don’t I?” Charity smiled tightly as she sank down into a seat at the kitchen table, reclaiming her glass of champagne.

 

“If you don’t go willingly, you’ll earn yourself another back seat ride.” Cain threw a wink her way, as he bounced Moses on his leg, both their faces covered in chocolate cake.

 

“Come on! The sooner we get this sorted, the better!” Debbie let out a sigh of annoyance as she shot daggers at her Mother, daring her to try and protest again.

 

“Fine!” She dramatically sighed, almost sending her chair flying backwards as she stood. Strutting over to her daughter she quickly grabbed a fresh bottle of champagne from the cooler. “Happy birthday to me!” She sang with a wink.

 

“Not a good idea, oh sweet cousin of mine.” Chas reacted quickly, grabbing the bottle out of her hand before she had a chance to move away.

 

“Yeah, probably right on that one.” She clicked her fingers at the brunette, before being pulled out of the small pub house.


	3. Chapter 3

One large cup of coffee, and a brainstorming session in the back of a taxi, later, the two Dingle woman found themselves abandoned in a hallway, with no clue as to what was going to happen to them. They had both kept their cool, to begin with. Played nice with the Officer at the reception, smiled at the clueless newbies who walked by, but enough was finally enough. Three hours they’ve been kept waiting, three hours of wondering and praying that they’ll get to say goodbye to their kids before being sent down again. Charity was hard as nails, never great at showing emotions, but Debbie on the other hand, when it came to her kids she was a nervous wreck and it was starting to show.

 

“We’ve been sitting here for ages!” Debbie moaned for the tenth time in the last half an hour. She needed to know what was happening, she needed to call her Dad to check on the kids, but most importantly she needed to get out of this place.

 

“They’re trying to sweat us out! Trying to get us to roll over.” Charity responded quietly, her head leaned back against the wall and eyes closed. She had been there and done that so many times by now, that sitting in a police station, almost felt like a second nature to her. 

 

“Or DI Woodfield is more clueless than I thought.” The younger woman muttered, noting how her Mother seemed to suddenly spring back to life at the mere mention of the DI’s name.

 

“Nah, she’s smart. She’s trying to ware us down.” Charity mumbled, sounding like a crazy conspiracy theory person. “Fear not Debs! I’ve come prepared.” She threw her daughter a cheeky wink, before lifting her large handbag off the ground.

 

“What are you babbling on about?” Debbie snapped, convinced that her Mother had finally lost the plot. 

 

“There’s a reason I carry this big thing with me, and it ain’t because it’s a great knockoff!” The pub own smirked, signalling for Debbie to come closer with her finger. “It’s got everything we need for a few nights stuck in here. Change of underwear, deodorant, a couple bottles of water and my favourite breakfast bar.” She whispered, catching her daughter off guard and thoroughly surprising her at the same time.

 

“That’s actually quite impressive.” The brunette smiled proudly, at the now smug blonde. “I might have to get myself one of these.”

 

“I’m a step ahead of your babe. Already got one partially made for your birthday.” She winked, nudging her in the hips, in a way that Debbie didn’t know if she was being serious or not.

 

“Aww, thanks Mum,” Debbie replied sarcastically before the two burst out laughing. Their relationship might be strained at times, but the one thing Debbie can always count on with her Mother is her ability to make even the darkest of situations a barrel of laughs.

 

“Hello again, Miss Dingle.” Charity’s head whipped around as soon as the thick Yorkshire accent reached her ears. Smirking slightly as the Detective approached with two coffee cups in hand. Charity’s breathing hitched as their eyes met, she couldn’t explain what had suddenly come over her, and she didn’t care. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time, and it felt good.

 

“DI Woodfield.” She nodded smugly as she subtly gave the woman the once over, the barmaid slightly disappointed that she wasn’t in her little pants suit like the day before, but also really enjoying how good yellow seemed to look on her.

 

“And you must be the other Miss Dingle.” Vanessa smiled brightly at Debbie, who had been thoroughly confused by her Mother’s sudden demeanour change.

 

“Debbie is fine.”

 

“Milk, three sugars.” The DI smirked as she handed one of the cups over to Charity, brushing their fingers together slightly as Charity accepted the cup, with a small nod and shy smile playing on her lips. “And I didn’t know how you took yours, so I brought some milk and sugar to be on the safe side.” She handed the other cup over to Debbie, before reaching into her pocket to pull out a handful of sugar and milk packets.

 

“Thanks.” Debbie gave the Detective a small smile, before nudging her Mother in the side slightly. Silently reminding her that it was best to stay on DI Woodfield’s good side.

 

“Yeah, glad you remembered.” Charity spoke up, a hint of sarcasm laced in her voice.

 

“Hard to forget when it’s being shouted at you.” Vanessa shot back, the small smile on her face not shifting, as Charity’s eye’s burrowed into her own. The two stayed like that, neither speaking, just staring waiting for the other to back down.

 

“Look, is this going to take much longer? We were kind of in the middle of something when you summoned.” Debbie spoke up, interrupting the weird encounter that was happening between her Mother and the Detective, and making the brunette wonder about what happened the previous day between the two.

 

“Ah, yes. Family party, sorry to have interrupted.” Vanessa quickly averted her attention onto the younger Dingle woman, utterly confused as to why she had been distracted by the blonde in the first place. “Mr Tate is still meeting with his lawyer. I thought he would have been done by now, but…” She rolled her eyes, sparking Charity’s interested once again.

 

“Is he pressing charges?” Debbie asked frowning with worry, while all her Mother could do was gawk at the blonde woman.

 

“That’s what they’re discussing. I wish I had more to tell you.” The DI nodded knowingly, before quickly excusing herself. Her head was reeling, and she had no idea why. There was just something about the way Charity looked at her, it sent her heart racing and made her palms sweat. She was no stranger to being with women, but she never found herself attracted to someone like Charity Dingle. She was the kind of person Vanessa put away every day, but she had suddenly felt herself feeling something more, something undeniable, indescribable.

 

“Hey,” Vanessa jumped slightly as she felt a soft hand wrap around her wrist, turning sharply the hand fell, afraid that it would make things worse.

 

“Can I help you, Miss Dingle?” Vanessa’s voice was stern, any sign of the easy-going Detective gone.

 

“What are we looking at here?” Charity smiled softly, regretting the fact that seemed to have wiped the cute smile from Vanessa’s lips. “Three, four years?”

 

“Five.” The DI frowned, noting how the blonde’s eyes flashed with worry for a millisecond.

 

“Is there any way you could leave Debs out of all this?” The pub owner whispered, knowing all too well that Debbie was staring intensely at the talking pair.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“Like shift the blame onto just me?” Charity explained, sparing Debbie a quick glance before turning attention back to the blonde woman. “Her daughter, my granddaughter...she’s got health problems, has done since she was little.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Vanessa nodded, feeling the strong urge to reach out and comfort the blonde, but fighting it at all costs.

 

“She needs her Mum around.”

 

“Woodfield.” Both women jumped, as Matthew’s bellowed down the hallway. Vanessa turned and waved down to him, extremely frustrated that her conversation with Charity was being cut short.

 

“I have to go.” She smiled sadly, regretting it as soon as she saw a wicked smirk appear on the blonde’s lips.

 

“Course. Wouldn’t want to keep you.” Charity bit her lip and threw a playful wink Vanessa’s way before strutting back over to Debbie.

 

“What the hell is up with you?” Debbie whisper-shouted as soon as Charity sat down and plucked the coffee from her hand.

 

“What? I was just chatting.” Charity flipped the question off like it was nothing, hiding her smirk behind the coffee cup.

 

“You were practically undressing her with your eyes Mother!” The younger Dingle exclaimed, her eyes lighting up slightly. She had never seen her Mother drool over someone before, not Cain, not any of her ex-husband’s.

 

“Give over!” The blonde woman pushed her away slightly, begging her cheeks to stop burning. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s a cop, Debs!”

 

“A cute cop.” Debbie pointed out, enjoying seeing her Mother all defensive about someone. Charity huffed in her seat, of course, she thought DI Woodfield was cute, she was gorgeous and tiny and absolutely adorable in that yellow sweater...but at the end of the day, she was still a cop. She’s one of them, she can’t be trusted.

 

“She’s alright.” Charity shrugged.

 

“She remembered your coffee order.”

 

“Can you just drop it okay!” The barmaid finally snapped, making Debbie jump away slightly. She didn’t mean to snap, she didn’t want to either. She just wanted to get the blonde Detective out of her head. “If I wanted anything - which I don’t - it would never be more than a bit of fun. A hot fumble in her squad car.”

 

“Gross Mother.” She fake gagged, before letting her head rest on Charity’s shoulder.

 

“Don’t even get me started about handcuffs.” The blonde mumbled, earning a sharp elbow to the hips.

 

“Ignoring you,” Debbie replied in a sing-song tone, before lifting her head to look at her Mother properly. “It looked like she was into you too, just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I wasn’t!” She let out a shaky sigh, begging Debbie to give it a rest already. “And she was just being nice Debs, they’re always trying to be nice.”

 

“Hey…” The brunette placed her hand gently on top of her Mother’s and squeezed hard. She had a fairly decent idea what Charity was talking about, and she wished that she couldn’t have been there for her all those years ago, instead of trying to frame her.

 

Vanessa stood watching the interaction, she knew the history, knew the circumstances, but she would never have guessed it. They were close, that was obvious. She hadn’t expected Charity to want to take the blame, it was admirable, surprising. Vanessa didn’t know why she had this sudden interest in the Pub owner. She was brash, sarcastic, snarky and rude. But that only made the blonde want to know more. She wanted to see the woman behind the defensive smirk, and callous comments and she almost did. There was a moment, a small twinkle that caught Vanessa eye as Debbie grabbed her hand. She saw her vulnerability shine through and it intrigued her. This was more than just an attraction, she wanted to know the real Charity Dingle, the woman behind the police file.

 

“Hello, sorry to interrupt again.” Vanessa smiled apologetically, noting how quickly the two women jumped away from each other. “Mr Tate is finished meeting with his lawyer.” She added with a sharp nod.

 

“And this is the part where you handcuff us again.” Charity smirked, defensively crossing her arms over her chest. Silently she prayed that DI Woodfield had done as she asked and that Debbie would be free to go.

 

“Nope,” Vanessa smirked back with a slight pop in her voice. “He has decided to drop all the charges.”

 

“He what?” Debbie’s mouth hung over, as she reached over to gently touch her Mother’s leg.

 

“Surprising, I know.” The DI said, mostly to herself but she could tell that Charity had heard. “All he wants is an apology, and then you’re both free to go.”

 

“Ha! There it is!” Charity stood, startling both Debbie and Vanessa. “There is no way we are apologising to him, Debs!” She exclaimed.

 

“If it means getting back to my kids, I don’t care!” Debbie mimicked her actions.

 

“My partner can take you to meet with him,” Vanessa interjected, fascinated by the women’s behaviours. Debbie nodded thankfully and began to walk, stopping after a few steps when she noticed her Mother wasn’t following.

 

“Mother!” She shouted, a pleading tone in her voice.

 

“I can’t Debs.” The blonde shook her head, before reclaiming her seat.

 

“Suit yourself.” The brunette threw over her shoulder as she followed Matthew’s down the hallway, leaving Vanessa and Charity alone.

 

Vanessa looked around her to make sure that they were somewhat alone before she sat next to the woman and whispered. “Are you seriously going to go down for five years, when all you have to do is say sorry?”

 

“Look, don’t try and understand things you know absolutely nothing about!” Charity snapped, but Vanessa could tell that she wasn’t really angry. She was scared, and she was doing a crap job of hiding it.

 

“Right…” Vanessa sighed as she leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs ready to wait out the blonde.

 

“Sorry.” The blonde whispered after a few deafening minutes.

 

“See, it’s not so hard.” Vanessa lightheartedly laughed, trying to make the blonde feel more comfortable.

 

“Well, it’s easy when you mean it.” The barmaid huffed out, a cheeky smirk plastered on her face. For the first time that day she finally felt like she could breathe, that she wasn’t going to be judged or analysed for her actions. It felt nice.

 

“Charity, you don’t deserve to end up in jail.” The smaller blonde spoke softly, surprising the barmaid. No one had ever said anything like that to her before, not even her own family. “Not because of a man like Joseph Tate.”

 

“You don’t know me, DI Woodfield.” Charity responded, clicking her tongue against her teeth as she drew out Vanessa’s name.

 

“No, but I’ve read your file.” The DI quickly counterattacked. “And it’s my professional opinion, that you deserve to be with your kids, and your grandkids. Not in a jail cell.” Vanessa watched carefully as the scowl on the blonde’s face softened, and in its place appeared a genuine smile, a sight that was utterly breathtaking to the DI.

 

“You’re definitely a newbie.” Charity shook her head playfully, a small laugh escaping from her lips.

 

“That obvious?”  Vanessa let out a matching laugh, as Charity turned in her seat to fully face her.

 

“You’re too nice to have been at this long.” She muttered, a small twinkle visible as their eyes met.

 

“I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.” The DI swallowed nervously, suddenly very hyper-aware of their surroundings.

 

“Good.” Charity whispered, leaning in slightly before she stopped herself. What was she doing? Was she seriously about to make a move on a cop, in the middle of a police station? “Right, I better get down there before you get the handcuffs out.”

 

“Good choice.” Vanessa smiled shyly, before standing and straightening her sweater. She quickly began to walk down the hallway, in the opposite direction of where Charity was meant to go, until suddenly she stopped and turned slightly, “Oh and Charity.” She called out.

 

“Yes DI Sunshine?” The blonde winked, still trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with her for wanting to flirt with a copper, while at the same time not being able to stop herself.

 

Vanessa smirked annoyingly at the nickname, before shaking her head and saying. “Happy birthday, by the way.”


	4. Chapter 4

Her first week had certainly been an eventful one. After dealing with the Joseph Tate case, Vanessa had been called onto a stolen vehicle case that kept her busy for the rest of the week. But now it was Saturday, her first day off since the promotion and she had opted to spend it with Tracy, while Johnny was with her Dad. It was about an hours drive from her small apartment to Emmerdale Village. She had been there once or twice but had never really taken the time to get to know the village. It seemed like a quiet place, with friendly neighbours. There was a park, a duck pond - that Johnny had taken quite the shine too - there was a cafe that she’d had lunch in once, and the pub that she’s yet to venture into. She liked the village, quite a bit actually. Which is why this wasn’t just a social call, she was house hunting. Emmerdale had a number of vacant properties, and she was not about to head back to her small apartment without a pending deal on the table.

 

“I’m so excited that you’re finally doing this Ness!” Tracy exclaimed excitedly as they walked down the cobbled path. The estate agent following closely behind. They had already been to see two houses, and still, nothing was jumping out at Vanessa. “This one here is owned by some well to do business mogul! One of the Dingle’s were living in it for a while, but she moved out last week.” Vanessa’s interest suddenly peaked as she took in the large house ahead, a small smirk creeping onto her face.

 

“Yeah, it’s a definite no on that one, Trace.” Vanessa laughed as she hooked her arm with her sisters. It had been hard for both of them at first, but it got easier eventually, and Vanessa rather enjoyed having Tracy in her life. “If you knew what went down in that house, you wouldn’t want to live here either.”

 

“Now I have to know! Did the Dingles murder someone or something?” She jumped excitedly, shaking the Detective slightly.

 

“What? God no!” Vanessa’s laugh filled the almost empty streets, as they stopped in front of the house to inspect the damage. Vanessa had already seen it all though, inside and out.

 

“Well whatever it is, I’m not surprised.” The taller blonde muttered, dragging her sister away and towards the last one on her list.

 

“So, the Dingles…are they a big deal or something?” Vanessa played it cool, trying to make it seem like she was just making small talk, and not remotely interested in them...well, one of them.

 

“Or something. They make up the majority of the village population.” Tracy explained with a shrug, as she smiled at one of the older residents passing by. “They own the car repair shop, a pig farm, oh and the pub.”

 

“Oh right.” Vanessa’s heart fluttered, she couldn’t imagine Charity working at a car repair shop or on a pig farm, so she only hoped that she might find the blonde in the pub. That’s if she even worked around here, and it was not that Vanessa even wanted to see her not really, she just felt the need to check in on her…and she just really wanted to see her, even if she struggled to admit it.

 

“We can go there for lunch if you like? Hopefully, we’ll have a little something to celebrate!” The taller blonde suggested, making Vanessa feel like she was floating at the mere possibility of seeing the blonde again. She didn’t know how the blonde woman had managed to leave such an imprint in the little time they spent together, but it was there.

 

“Sounds great Tracy.” The DI smiled brightly, as they stopped in front of a small cottage.

 

“Okay, so I saved the best for last. I used to live here with a friend of mine a few years back, it’s exactly what you’re looking.” The shopkeeper started, pausing as they walked up the steps. “It’s near everything, it’s cosy, and it has three bedrooms.”

 

“Umm, that’s my job.” The estate agent spoke up, reminding the two women that he was even there.

 

“Well you aren’t doing a very good job, are ya?” Tracy smirked at the man who she knew didn’t even live in Emmerdale and probably knew nothing about the houses he was selling.

 

“Would you like to have a look inside Miss Woodfield?” He coughed, as he jingled the keys.

 

“Why not,” Vanessa shrugged, as she moved to let him past she noticed the nameplate on the wall. “Tug Ghyll, I like the sound of that.”

 

***

 

Charity was bored. It had been surprisingly slow for a Saturday afternoon, and while she wished that she could be out shopping or relaxing, she was the only one available to man the bar. Paddy and Rhona were in the corner booth, probably chatting about who stuck more hands of cow this week, so she made a point of avoiding them. While Cain and Sammy were nursing pints, mopey faced and oddly quiet.

 

“Harriet end things again?” Charity muttered as she offered them both a fresh pint.

 

“What’s it to you?” The gloomy man snapped in response, before taking a large gulp of beer.

 

“And that’s a yes.” The barmaid snarled playfully, earning an ungodly growl from her ex.

 

“Why can’t you just stay out,” Sammy spoke up, catching Charity off guard slightly. He definitely had a Dingle gob on him when he needed to, but it didn’t surface that often.

 

“Sorry for taking an interest in my family.” Charity mock gasped, moving so that she was standing in front of Sammy instead, knowing that her intense glare would have a humorous effect on the Dingle man.

 

“You’re not taking an interest, you’re looking for a fight,” Cain interjected, pulling Charity away from her planned attack.

 

“Well I’m bored, so can you blame me?” The blonde woman huffed out, as she stole a swing of Cain’s pint. “All I can think of is smashing Joe freakin’ Tate’s face in, but I’m stuck behind a bar.”

 

“Debs said to leave well alone.” The unamused man grunted in reply, as he stole his pint back.

 

“I know, I was there! I was the one sitting in a police station, on my birthday!” Charity exclaimed, over dramatically as usual.

 

“Well, you did take a-” Sammy started, but was quickly cut off by an ungodly death stare coming from both Charity and Cain.

 

“I know what I did!” The pub owner hissed through gritted teeth.

 

“Look, we’ve got things covered on the Joe Tate end,” Cain announced quietly, peaking the barmaid's interest.

 

“Covered how?” The blonde woman questioned, her eyes burrowing into him. She knew he would try and pull something like this, try and one-up her. It’s what he always does, he sits back until she fails and then he swoops in to play hero.

 

“You better run.” The trio were startled as Ross came running into the pub and straight for Sammy. In a blink of an eye, the younger man had Sammy pushed up against a nearby wall by his throat.

 

“Oi, what do you think you’re playing at Ross.” Charity shouted from behind the bar, while Cain jumped off his seat to rush to his brother's side.

 

“Let go of him!” He growled as he grabbed a fist full of Ross’ jacket, trying and failing to pull the younger man off him.

 

“No, don’t.” Joe’s smug voice filled the pub, making Charity’s blood begin to boil. She had been fortunate enough to have not seen his smirking face since she apologised to him at the station, but seeing him standing, in HER pub, that brought it all back. “I don’t want him weaselling away again.”

 

“And you can sling your hook an all!” Charity shouted, finally caring enough to move from behind the bar. “We operate a no pricks policy.” She smirked as she stood firmly beside her ex.

 

“I didn’t do nothin’! I swear it.” Sammy muttered, sounding completely terrified.

 

“He fired a gun at me!” Joe replied, a snobby tone to his voice.

 

“Sammy! Why’d ya miss?” The barmaid added with a pop, enjoying the look of sheer frustration that fell upon Joe’s face.

 

“You think this is funny?” He snapped, turning the smug smirk on Charity’s face into a look of pure hatred and anger.

 

“No, I think it’s hilarious.” She shot back, firing finger guns at him for an added measure.

 

“I could have him sent down for attempted murder!” Joe huffed out, making Sammy let out another terrified growl, as Ross’ grip on his neck tightened.

 

“And I could have you thrown out of here black and blue if you don’t let him go!” Cain spat out, pure Dingle venom laced in his voice.

 

“Oi! What’s going on here?” Charity nearly jumped out of her skin, when she saw the small Detective walk through the door, and stumble upon the fight.


	5. Chapter 5

_“Oi! What’s going on here?” Charity nearly jumped out of her skin, when she saw the small Detective walk through the door, and stumble upon the fight._

 

“What’s it to you small fry?” Cain leered, as Charity placed her hand over her mouth to hold in her burst of laughter. Vanessa smirked, before looking in her small purse for a second and pulling out her badge with a smug aura about her.

 

“Actually it’s Detective Inspector Woodfield.” She smiled, wiping the grin right off Cain’s face. “What seems to be the problem, Mr Tate?”

 

“You rang the coppers?” Ross muttered, earning a rather unpleasant glare from the small Detective.

 

“No, I was coming in for a bit of lunch.” She shot back, before realising that he still had Sammy pinned against the wall. “Could you let go of him.”

 

“Right.” He quickly let go, before gently patting Sammy on the shoulder. “We’re just messing around, aren’t we Sammy?”

 

“Aye, just joking about,” Sammy muttered, although he still looked absolutely terrified.

 

“Is there a problem, Mr Tate?” Vanessa turned to ask the man she had the displeasure of dealing with before.

 

“Boys will be boys. We love a bit of roughhousing.” Joe quickly agreed, not ready to get any of the Dingles set away, not yet anyway.

 

“Good. In that case, I’ll put this away and find take two menus please.” Vanessa smiled at Charity, who quickly grabbed two menus and handed them over silently. Vanessa nodded defeatedly as she took them and found a table, an awestruck Tracy quickly following behind, thoroughly impressed after witnessing her sister in action.

 

Charity watched the blonde Detective for a few moments, mumbling as Cain and Sammy said their goodbyes to her. Quickly she moved back to her place behind the bar, thankful that DI Woodfield had picked a table a little bit away.

 

It was the sound of knocking on the bar, that finally broke her free from the spell the blonde Detective seemed to have put her in. Scowling, she rolled her eyes when she realised who had the nerve to break it. “Your little temper tantrum may be over, but my policy still applies.” She hissed at the rich boy, who had his wallet out.

 

“Why would I want my money to line your pockets,” Joe muttered, before sticking it back in his blazer pocket and signalling to Ross that it was time to leave.

 

Vanessa’s heart was racing, that was the most thrilling thing to happen to her since her promotion...well, next to meeting Charity. She had hoped to find the blonde woman in the pub, but she would never have guessed that she’d find her in the middle of a bar brawl involving Joe Tate. Not that Vanessa could blame her. He wasn’t the easiest man to like, and from what she heard from Charity and read from Debbie’s statements, he had really screwed over the Dingles. Tracy was still buzzing with excitement, saying ‘how she felt like she was on one of them cop shows’. Before she quickly explained the connections the group all had to each other. Vanessa learned that the one against the wall, Sammy Dingle, he was the taller brooding man’s brother, who was called Cain Dingle. Cain was Charity’s ex and Debbie’s Dad. The guy who had pushed Sammy against the wall was Ross Barton, another one of Charity’s exes and dad to her youngest son. Vanessa was suddenly drowning in information about the blonde, information that would put anyone else off straight away, but it only made things more interesting and confusing at the same time. Charity had led such a hard life, and it impressed Vanessa. From what she had read, the blonde woman did most of it alone, yet she seemed so put together.

 

“DI Sunshine, thanks for saving me a carpet cleaning bill.” Charity walked over with the order pad in hand. She had been building up to it over the last fifteen minutes. Thinking up ways to approach, without sounding like an idiot. For some reason, she felt like she had to impress the blonde woman, that her approval mattered somehow. “I hear blood is quite a hard stain to remove.” She quickly added with a small smile, catching Tracy completely off guard. The only time she had ever seen her smile was when she was tormenting someone.

 

“Always happy to help out a barmaid in need.” Vanessa smiled back, forgetting for a second that Tracy was there.

 

“Do you two know each other?” Tracy quickly jumped in, as the two struggled to keep their eyes off each other.

 

“It’s a long story.” The smaller blonde woman quickly explained, noting how Charity’s soft smile turned into a playful smirk within zero seconds flat.

 

“Sorry to interrupt.” Rhona jumped into the conversation before the barmaid had a chance to speak again.

 

“So don’t then.” Charity hissed through gritted teeth, earning an eye roll from Vanessa before she turned her attention to the very familiar looking brunette.

 

“Did you say your name was Woodfield? As in Vanessa Woodfield?” The brunette woman asked with excitement laced in her voice. Charity froze, _Vanessa_ she repeated over in her head, making sure she wouldn’t forget, although the likelihood of her forgetting anything about the small blonde was unlikely.

 

“Yes...wait. Rhona?!” Vanessa quickly jumped up and the two happily embraced each other.

 

“I thought it was you! I heard you had joined the force, but I didn’t realise you were a DI now!” Rhona exclaimed pulling away slightly to take the blonde in.

 

“New promotion! How have you been? Last I heard you were running your own practice.” The smaller woman quickly explained as she indicated for Rhona to join her and Tracy.

 

“Yep, me and Paddy.” She smiled as she gestured over to the bald man, who was too lost in a crossword to notice.

 

“Paddy, as in husband Paddy?” Vanessa winked, smiling brightly. She had expected a few things from this little trip, but meeting up with her best friend from University, definitely wasn’t on the list.

 

“More like ex-husband now.” Charity muttered as she too joined the small group, brushing her knee against Vanessa’s slightly as she sat.

 

“Oh, sorry.” The DI smiled apologetically at her oldest friend while sending the blonde barmaid a confused side glance.

 

“How is it you know my yet another one of my neighbours?” Tracy laughed lightheartedly.

 

“We went to Veterinary College together!” Rhona raised her eyebrows at the shopkeeper.

 

“You went to Veterinary College?” Tracy exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“Yeah for like a year, until the incident with the snake.” Vanessa laughed along with Rhona, both thinking back to their university days.

 

“This I’ve got to hear.” Charity muttered, earning a weird glance from both Rhona and Tracy.

 

“I kinda left a cage open, and it ended up on the lecturer. He was petrified, and so was I.” Vanessa turned to face the blonde slightly, mesmerised by the way Charity’s eye lit up when she laughed.

 

“What has you around these parts?” Rhona quickly asked, pulling Vanessa’s attention away from the blonde barmaid. Rhona knew that Charity was trouble, and she wasn’t about to let Vanessa fall into one of her traps.

 

“I was just about to ask the same thing.” The barmaid cut in before Vanessa had a chance to respond. “Not come to arrest me again, have ya?” She winked, making a faint blush dance along the blonde's cheeks.

 

“Just visiting my sister,” Vanessa smirked, as she reached over to brush her fingers against Tracy’s.

 

“Oh, I had no idea you two were sisters.” Rhona’s eyes widened, as she gave the tall blonde a bright smile.

 

“Yeah, it’s a new development. But a great one.” The smaller woman confirmed.

 

“And that’s not all!” Tracy clapped excitedly. “She’s bought Tug Ghyll!” The shopkeeper added, catching Charity completely off guard. While she may have been a little bit excited to see Vanessa today, she wasn’t too sure about her living in the village and the possibility of seeing her every day.

 

“Seriously?” The vet's eyes lit up, pure happiness in her voice as she thought of having one of her oldest friends living so close by again.

 

“I’ve put an offer in, I won’t know anything for a few days,” Vanessa added with an eye roll.

 

“Sounds exciting!” Charity said sarcastically, confusing Vanessa with her sudden personality change. “Should I crack open the fizz?” She winked as she slapped Vanessa on the shoulder gently with the order pad.

 

“A pint will do thanks. Tracy, Rhona?” The DI smiled before turning to face the two other women at the table.

 

“Vodka and coke please Charity.” Tracy smiled tightly, trying not to show her dislike for the blonde.

 

“Nothing for me, I’ve got to get back to work.” Rhona shrugged frustratingly, before standing. “It was great seeing you again Ness.” The brunette was quickly engulfed by Vanessa’s arms, making Charity’s blood boil at the sight. She hated feeling like this. She hated that she liked Vanessa, that the mere thought of her would send chills through her body.

 

“And I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.” Vanessa winked, as she watched the brunette woman disappear.

 

***

 

When Debbie came into the pub just over an hour later she was shocked to find DI Woodfield sat in one of the booths, but not the least bit shocked to see her Mother stuck in some weird trace, unable to remove her eyes from the blonde.

 

“Is that?” Debbie smirked playfully, watching how her Mother quickly jumped and averted her gaze away from the Detective.

 

“Yep. Came in at lunchtime, had to break up a fight between Ross and Sammy.” Charity quickly muttered as she lifted a bottle of wine up to her daughter, pouring a large glass when she received a nod in return.

 

“I heard about that, but I didn’t think-”

 

“She’s like some crazy hot stalker.” The barmaid quickly cuts in as she moves to stand beside Debbie with her back against the bar so that she could still watch Vanessa from afar. “You know, she’s bought a house across the way.”

 

“Tug Ghyll?” Debbie questioned, remembering back to when she used to live in the small cottage.

 

“Yep.” Charity said with a pop, as she swiped Debbie glass, taking a large gulp.

 

“Guess you can’t bet on this little crush of yours fading any time soon then?” The brunette teased, stunning her Mother so that she could take her glass back with ease.

 

“There is no little crush! She’s hot, that’s all.” The blonde quickly snapped, a furious blush appearing on her face, as she started to bite at her nails, a nervous habit she’s had for years.

 

“Why don’t you buy her a drink Mother, instead of ogling her from behind the bar.” Debbie laughed, “I know you’re all, I can’t Debs, she’s a copper, Debs.” She added doing her best impersonation of her Mother.

 

“Because she is Debs!”

 

“But, I still see the way you act around her. You like her, and that’s okay!” The younger Dingle woman reached out to cover her Mother’s hand. “After all the shit you’ve been through...you deserve a little bit of fun. So why don’t you get to know her? And if something comes of it that’s great,”

 

“So, I should buy her a drink.” Charity muttered starry-eyed, as the sound of Vanessa’s laughter filled the air.

 

“God, you’re hopeless.” Debbie shook her head, as her Mother talked herself into approaching the Detective.

 

“You know she’s still staring at us?” Tracy muttered before draining the rest of her drink. Today had been the most fun she’d had in a long time, she really liked getting to know Vanessa and she was ecstatic that she was going to be moving to Emmerdale.

 

“Who is? Charity?” Vanessa whispered, an obvious twinkle in her eye as she mentioned the barmaid's name. Vanessa’s sexuality wasn’t a secret, and Tracy could feel the tension between the two since they first walked into the bar and she didn’t like it. Charity played with people, used them for her own gain and the shopkeeper was heart scared that she was going to do the same with her newly found sister. But at the same time, she didn’t want to push her luck and overstep, so she bit her tongue and played the role of supportive sister, for now anyway.

 

“What was that?” The taller blonde teased as her sisters face turned a faint shade of pink.

 

“What was what?” The DI played dumb as she swirled the remainder of her pint in the glass.

 

“That look when I mentioned that she was staring,” Tracy added sternly, a playfulness trying to edge its way into her tone.

 

“There was no look!” Vanessa rolled her eyes, before putting up a fake defence.

 

“There was definitely a look.” The blonde muttered as she stole Vanessa’s last chip from her plate and popped it into her mouth. “You like her, don’t you?” She added with a small sigh.

 

“I almost charged her with a crime a few days ago!” The DI exclaimed after letting out a small sigh.

 

“And what? The Dingles are always getting charged with something.” Tracy pointed out, making Vanessa let out a small laugh and nod along with her. “You think she’s pretty.” She added teasingly.

 

“Shut up!” Vanessa blushed, although she couldn’t deny it. Charity was a gorgeous woman, way more attractive than any other woman she’d been with. “I’m not even looking for a relationship,” She added with a huff, before crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Then you’ve found the right woman, Charity isn’t really the relationship kind of girl.” Tracy laughed loudly, making Vanessa roll her eyes at her younger sisters actions. “She’s more of a good time kinda girl.”

 

“Now you’ve caught my attention.” She hasn’t been able to get Charity out of her mind, so even the hypothetical thought of a night with the blonde made her cheeks burn.

 

“So you do fancy her!” Tracy exclaimed loudly, making the furious blush on Vanessa’s face deepen.

 

“Shh! I think she's attractive, that’s all!” Vanessa quickly covered the blonde's mouth, as she muttered an apology against her sister's hand.

 

“Alright.” She muttered once her Vanessa had removed her hand, that’s when she suddenly caught a flash of blonde hair coming in their direction. “Ness, she’s coming over.” The shopkeeper whispered in a hushed panic.

 

“What?!”

 

“Hey, was everything to your satisfaction?” Charity appeared wearing an uncharacteristic smile.

 

“It was great! She loved it.” Tracy winked at her sister, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by the barmaid.

 

“Good. Can I get you anything else, Vanessa?” The taller blonde turned so that she was only facing Vanessa, feeling a slight tingle as she drew out her name.

 

“Wouldn’t say no to another pint if you’re offering,” Vanessa smirked, aware of the game that Charity was trying to play.

 

“Coming right up…oh and it’s on the house, yeah?” Charity winked before grabbing the two plates and heading into the kitchen, an extra sway in her hips as she walked.

 

“Thanks,” Vanessa muttered to herself as her eyes stayed glued to the barmaid, taking in every detail of her behind. She wasn’t usually like this, she didn’t make a point of drooling over barmaids, but there was just something about Charity Dingle, that made the Detective’s brain turn to mush with a single look.

 

“Go after her!” Tracy demanded, drawing out every word, as Vanessa stood and was pushed towards the bar by her sister.

 

Vanessa took a seat on one of the bar stools and sent a small wave in Debbie’s direction before the Mother of two slipped in the back. The blonde woman was a nervous wreck. It had been a long time since she had even tried to chat up a woman, never mind one as stunning as Charity. “So, how long have you worked here?” The DI asked once the barmaid reappeared, shocked to find the smaller blonde sitting at the bar instead of her table, but she wasn’t about to complain.

 

“I actually co-own the place with my cousin.” Charity smiled brightly, owning the pub had been her first right move, and she took great pride in it.

 

“Oh right.” Vanessa smiled shyly as she watched Charity effortlessly pull a pint and slide it over to her. “Thanks.”

 

“So, Tug Ghyll. Big house for just you.” The barmaid commented as she played with the beer mat that sat just by Vanessa’s hand.

 

“Oh, it’s not just me. I have a son, his name is Johnny.” The small blonde admitted, unsure of how it would sway things between them. She didn’t always get the warmest of receptions after mentioning Johnny, she never got a second date, and even sometimes she didn’t even make it through the first one. But Charity didn’t seem to mind, in fact, her smile brightened at the mere mention.

 

“Oh, how old?” She asked, shocking the DI that she was actually taking an interest.

 

“Just turned three.” Vanessa smiled as she pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of the pair snuggled up together. Gently Charity dropped the beer mat and brushed her fingers against Vanessa’s as she looked at the picture she was showing.

 

“Aww, he’s adorable. Same age as my youngest.” Charity smiled as she did the same with her phone, earning a chorus of aww’s from Vanessa as well. She never did that, never felt the need to show anyone pictures of her kids, but she felt safe trusting Vanessa with this.

 

“Look, I don’t know if you had a hand in Joe Tate, dropping the charges...but I just wanted to say thanks.” Charity added after a few content moments of silence.

 

“I didn’t, but you’re welcome anyway.” Vanessa sent a cheeky smile her way, before taking a large gulp of her pint.

 

“Still too nice.” The blonde rolled her eyes playfully.

 

“Well, they don’t call me DI Sunshine for nothing.” She winked, sending shivers down Charity’s spine.

 

“Is it finally catching on?” Charity asked in a fake shocked tone.

 

“Not yet, but give it time.” The DI laughed heartily “Thanks again...for the pint.” She lifted the glass up slightly, as she noticed move punters appear the bar, ready to cut their conversation short.

 

“Standard procedure, for a newcomer.” The blonde shrugged, as she glared at the confused faces gawking at her. “Welcome to Emmerdale.” She whispered with a cheeky wink, before regrettably getting back to work. She had made good progress tonight with Vanessa, and she suddenly couldn’t wait to get to know more about the blonde DI that she had spent the last week dreaming about…she just hoped that Vanessa would still be interested once the village gossip reached her.


	6. Chapter 6

Vanessa had been over the moon when her offer had been accepted without any trouble and a small celebration, she had quickly got to work in making the necessary arrangement to get moved out of her small apartment and into Tug Ghyll as quickly as possible. She had no problems moving Johnny to the nearby nursery, and the toddler was so excited to see his new house, the excitement only intensified when he found out that he would be living beside Grandpa Frank and the duckies. So, she booked a few days off work and with the help of Frank and Tracy they emptied and cleaned her apartment, and moved her into Tug Ghyll.

 

“There we go. Last one.” Frank announced as he carried in the last box from their cars, planting it on the sofa. He and Vanessa had been doing most of the heavy lifting, leaving Tracy to play with Johnny. “You are officially moved in Teeny.” He smiled brightly as Vanessa walked over to him with a large glass of lemonade, both looking equally exhausted.

 

“Thanks, Dad.” Vanessa gave him a one-armed hug, truly thankful to have her Dad back in her life once again. “What do you think of our new house sweetheart?” The blonde asked as Johnny toddled over to join the small hug, clinging to his Mother’s leg before she lifted him up and rested him on her hip.

 

“Big!” Johnny muttered, stretching his little arms out wide, making the small group giggle at his expense.

 

“Yeah, It is bigger isn’t it.” The blonde smiled nodding along with the toddler. “And we’re right beside the park and the-”

 

“Duckies!” He interrupted happily, bouncing on her hip.

 

“We can go there after dinner little man.” Frank let out a hearty laugh, as he put his glass down and took the squirming child from his daughter, lifting him up into the air and sending the toddler into a fit of giggles. “Dinner and drinks in the pub, my treat?” He asked his daughters, he would never have thought that he’d be in both of their lives, and he definitely never thought that they’d be in each other’s, so seeing them together warmed his heart.

 

“Oh she’d love that, wouldn’t ya Sis?” Tracy winked as she elbowed her sister in the rips. She knew that underneath Vanessa’s ‘playing it cool’ attitude, she really liked the barmaid in one way or another.

 

“Tracy!” Vanessa snapped playfully, pushing the taller blonde away slightly.

 

“Have I missed something?” Frank smiled confusingly as he put his grandson down to play, and walked over to his two bickering daughters.

 

“Ness has a crush on a certain barmaid.” The taller blonde quickly spat out before Vanessa could stop her.

 

“I do not!” The DI hissed at Tracy, but the shopkeeper knew that she wasn’t really annoyed.

 

“Who? Chas?” The older man asked, making Tracy burst into a fit of laughter.

 

“I have no idea who that is.” Vanessa shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

“Charity, Dad!” Tracy told him bluntly, as they moved to sit at the newly assembled kitchen table. The shopkeeper made a point to watch her sister closely, noting the subtle changes in her at the mention of the blonde barmaid.

 

“Charity?!” Frank repeated as they enjoyed another glass of lemonade. He’d been saying the name over and over since Tracy blurted it out, like the human form of a broken record. “I didn’t know that she…” He shocked the two women, as he was actually able to form a sentence again.

 

“Likes women?” Vanessa cut in with a smirk, before the same doubts that had been poking at her since that day in the pub, came flooding back. “Well, I don’t know either.” She shrugged defeatedly.

 

“Well she likes you, and you’re a woman,” Tracy commented playfully.

 

“She doesn’t like me! She was just being nice because she thought I helped her and Debbie dodge charges.” The DI explained, thinking about how the blonde had practically ignored her after their conversation at the bar.

 

“Did you?” Frank asked, trying to show no emotions on his face. He knew that his daughter was one of the good ones left on the force, but even the good ones could end up bending the law.

 

“No, of course not!” She snapped, slightly annoyed that he Dad would even ask that. “They got off because Joe Tate has the governor in his pocket.” She rolled her eyes, her hatred for that man only intensifying as she found out more and more about him and how he thought he could buy anyone.

 

“So, you wanted her to go to jail?” Her Dad asked, seeing the same look that Tracy had seen at the pub. The way her face lit up as she thought about the blonde, how her eyes twinkled when her name rolled off her tongue with ease. She had feelings for the blonde woman, and Frank prayed that they wouldn’t come back to haunt her in the end.

 

“What? Of course not.” Vanessa gasped, before catching the looks that they were sending her. “Its just...they trashed his house, and all they had to do was apologise. I just find it odd.” She quickly tried to cover up whatever it was she was feeling deep down.

 

“Well, what's really odd is you not asking for her number the other day!” Tracy jumped in, sending a cheeky wink her sister’s way. “You two were chatting each other up at the bar, had your phones out and everything. But no number exchange.” She noted, finally thankful to be able to press her sister about what really happened in the pub that day. She had been completely closed off after she returned to the table, only sparing a few details here and there.

 

“I was just showing her a picture of Johnny, and she was doing the same with her youngest.” Vanessa informed them, earning a chorus of ‘aww’s’ from Tracy.

 

“Already at this stage of your relationship, how sweet.” The shopkeeper winked playfully, prompting Vanessa to reach out and slap the woman’s arm gently.

 

“Where are you pulling this imaginary relationship from?” The DI snapped slightly, her cheeks beet red as she thought of what being in a relationship with Charity Dingle would entail. She imagined playful nights, filled with passionate lovemaking, and cosy mornings share at the breakfast table.

 

“From the way you two were undressing each other with your eyes!” Tracy laughed, as Frank’s eyes widen in horror. He definitely didn’t need to nor did he was to be in this conversation anymore.

 

“There was no undressing of any kind!” The blush on Vanessa’s face deepened, as Frank quickly excused himself from the conversation and moved to play with Johnny. “We were just two attractive women, having an innocent conversation about our kids,” Vanessa whispered to her sister, clearly as uncomfortable with this conversation as their Dad was.

 

“So, when we go in tonight. You’re just going to treat her like any other barmaid?” The shopkeeper asked with a pop, calling her sister’s bluff.

 

“Yes! Because that’s all she is!” The DI smirked, thankful that this conversation was finally coming to an end.

 

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Sis!” Tracy quickly kissed her cheek, before skipping over to the sofa, moving a box over so she could sit down and play with the toddler.

 

“I’m confused. So are we going to the pub tonight or what? Because I need to call Megan if we are.” Frank asked Vanessa, as he stood and met his daughter.

 

“The pub sounds like a great idea, thank you, Father.” Vanessa smiled amusingly, secretly thrilled to have a reason to go to the pub again because no matter how much she protested, she did want to know more about Charity.

 

“You’re very welcome daughter.” He smiled brightly as he pulled the small blonde into his arms. “And you have no idea how happy I am to have you here. To have both of my girls here.”

 

***

 

Charity sat on a stool magazine in hand, and a scowl very present on her face. She’d been in a mood since she talked to Vanessa in the pub. She kicked herself for ending the conversation so soon, and so boringly. She wanted to ignore the punters, to focus all her attention and efforts on the DI, but there were just too many confused eyes staring at her and she bottled it. She put her wall back up, ended things abruptly and then spent the rest of the night ignoring her. She couldn’t believe she let what others thought get the better of her again. But she just wasn’t ready for the looks and whispers to start up again, and she most certainly didn’t want news getting back to her family about her chatting up a copper.

 

“Look at the gob on you,” Chas commented as she walked back to the bar with her hands full of empty glasses. It had been a rather slow day, and the older Dingle woman was looking for any excuse for a bit of fun or excitement. So, she decided to press her scowling cousin on her miserable mood of the last few days. “Think we’ve found the reason for the lack of punters today. Your face has finally scared them all off.” She joked, earning a playful eye roll from her niece.

 

“What ya on about now Chas?” Charity muttered, only half listening to her cousin while keeping her nose buried in her magazine. She’d been on the same page for the last hour, but she couldn’t focus on the words in front of her. She thought of Vanessa’s laugh, and how it made her heart flutter, she thought of the tingle that shot through her when their fingers brushed together. Then eventually, she thought about how she could never end up with someone like Vanessa. How her family would react when they found out. She knew that Debbie was fine with it, but the rest of the Dingle clan wouldn’t be.

 

“Ignore her. She’s still stewing over her major fail the other day!” Debbie winked at her Mother, as she reached over and plucked the magazine out of her hands.

 

“What happened the other day?” The older woman asked as she leaned against the wall next to her cousin.

 

“Nothing!” Charity quickly snapped, shooting Debbie a warning glance.

 

“She tried to chat up our newest resident, who just so happens to be-” The youngest woman ignored her Mother’s warning, smirking wickedly before she was quickly cut off by her Mother standing abruptly.

 

“Firstly, I did chat her up. I did what you said and I bought her a drink. And secondly, what I do is neither of your businesses, end of story.” The blonde quickly warned, already done with this conversation.

 

“But you never got her number Mother, which counts towards a fail.” Debbie rolled her eyes, knowing that it was best she dropped the copper angle before her Mother really started to kick off. But she wasn’t about to let up on her just yet, she could tell that Charity really liked Vanessa and she wanted to make sure that her Mother didn’t bury these feelings out of fear. She wanted her to be happy for once, and she really thought that Vanessa could give her some sense of happiness.

 

“Like I need it? I look out the window and I’m staring at her house.” Charity huffed out, thinking about how she had spent the last few days watching the blonde move into Tug Ghyll, and how she wished she had the guts to go outside and offer her help, just so she could speak to the blonde again.

 

“How have you managed to get your claws into our new neighbour already?” Chas laughed, enjoying the show the Mother and Daughter were putting on for her.

 

“I haven’t gotten my claws into anyone.” Charity drew out, ready to walk out on her shift and leave her cousin to do the evening rush alone. “She’s fit and funny and….” The barmaid trailed off, letting a small smile break through her permanent scowl.

 

“And you’ve got a crush, yeah that much is obvious.” The older brunette laughed at her cousin’s expense as she threw her niece a knowing glance.

 

“You think she’s pretty, and you wanna kiss her.” Debbie teased in a sing-song tone, angering her Mother even more.

 

“Debs, I’m serious.” Charity warned, pointing a harsh finger at her daughter and cousin.

 

“Serious about her?” The brunette moved around behind the bar as Charity tried to catch and shut her up. “Mother, that’s quite a bold statement to make.” She laughed while winking at her aunt to take over the torment.

 

“So, tell us more about this girl then.” Chas jumped in, the two women were really starting to get on Charity’s last nerve. “I mean, I’ve already gathered that she’s pretty and Charity has a crush on her.” She shrugged, finally finding Charity’s breaking point.

 

“I haven’t got a crush on Vanessa bloody Woodfield!” She screamed at the two women, too caught up in her own anger to notice the pub door opening. The two brunettes froze as they saw Vanessa enter with a confused look on her face, stopping at the bar as she Charity continued her rant. “She’s hot, I’ll give her that. But why would I ever waste my time on someone like her!” Charity added, failing to notice the Dingle women trying to shut her up.

 

“Good to know.” Vanessa’s voice cut through Charity like a knife, as she turned around to face the frowning blonde Detective.


	7. Chapter 7

_“I haven’t got a crush on Vanessa bloody Woodfield!” She screamed at the two women, too caught up in her own anger to notice the pub door opening. The two brunettes froze as they saw Vanessa enter with a confused look on her face, stopping at the bar as she Charity continued her rant. “She’s hot, I’ll give her that. But why would I ever waste my time on someone like her!” Charity added, failing to notice the Dingle women trying to shut her up._

_“Good to know.” Vanessa’s voice cut through Charity like a knife, as she turned around to face the frowning blonde Detective._

 

“Vanessa…I-” Charity stuttered as her eyes met Vanessa’s. She could see the hurt that her words caused, the usual bright smile nowhere to be seen. Charity looked around the room, the feeling of everyone’s eyes burning her skin.

 

“Four menus, please.” The blonde said emotionless, her eyes saying everything that she could bring herself to voice. Charity had hurt her, she had taken the hope and fun out of there encounters and to make things worse she had done it in front of her family and new neighbours. Vanessa was embarrassed, and Charity was ashamed.

 

“Here ya go.” Chas quickly stepped in, handing the menus over to the frowning blonde. All the fun she had at her cousin’s expense, suddenly not worth it anymore. “Welcome to the village.” She muttered receiving a small nod from Vanessa before she took her seat as far away from the barmaid as she could.

 

“We are so sorry,” Debbie whispered as the pub chatter started to build once again. Charity stood frozen in the same spot, staring at the place that Vanessa had occupied moments before. She couldn’t believe what had just happened, she had ruined the only thing in her life that could make her smile, just like always.

 

“Leave it, yeah.” Charity snapped at her daughter, as she stole one last glance in Vanessa’s direction. She smiles as she caught a glimpse of the little boy on her knee, babbling happily, blissfully unaware of what had just happened. “I’m going on my break.” She muttered before storming out the back, both women knowing that it would be best to leave her for a bit to cool down.

 

“We screwed up didn’t we?” Chas whispered as her cousin disappeared out the back. Debbie nodded in response as she studied the blonde Detective carefully, watching how her family tried to talk to her but were quickly brushed off. She could tell that her Mother’s words had hurt her, and wished that she could turn back time and stop when her Mum had warned her too.

 

“We really did.” The brunette muttered.

 

***

 

Debbie felt horrible. She had been the one who had pushed her Mother into getting to know Vanessa, and now she was the one who had ruined everything. She left the blonde to cool off for a bit before she grabbed a large glass of wine and made her way out the back. She didn’t know what to expect when she walked into the small pub house, she had experienced many different sides of her Mother, but the one she witnessed when she walked into her home was definitely a new one. She was quiet, frozen in place. She looked lost in thought, and Debbie could practically see the inner war she was having. She looked miserable, her usual smirk turned into a deeply seeded frown.

 

“Hey…” Debbie muttered, not sure of how her Mother was going to take her sudden appearance. They were finally in a good place with each other, there was mutual trust and love for each other for once, and this could be the thing that s hits reset on them again.

 

“Is she still out there?” Charity mumbled her tone flat and worthless, she continued to look down, strongly resembling a scolded child, not lifting her eyes off the mug of cold tea she was nursing.

 

“Yep. Her face is always as bad as yours right now.” The brunette explained while handing the glass of wine to her Mother.

 

“Yeah well, I’ve just saved us both some time then.” The blonde quickly snapped herself out of the funk she’d found herself in. She had no reason to be this upset, it wasn’t like they were even involved, and now she had nothing to worry about, Vanessa had made a lucky escape, she’d gotten away before she could ruin her. “Nothing would have ever happened anyway, I always find a way of screwing things up.”

 

“That’s not entirely true…and I’m more to blame for this one.” Debbie sighed as she plonked herself down on the sofa beside her Mother. Charity shook her head swiftly, she didn’t want an out. She had said those words, not anyone else. She was the one who had let her stupid pride get the better of her, and it was that caused the frown to take over Vanessa’s gorgeous face. So no, she wasn’t going to scream at Debbie or blame it on the teasing she received from her and Chas. They didn’t make her say those things, and it was about time that she started to take responsibility for her actions for a change. “I should have stopped when you told me too.” She ducked her head, hating that she had been the reason from her Mother’s misery.

 

“Yeah, well you get from me an all.” Charity forced a laugh out, although Debbie could see right through it. She was hurting, that much was obvious. Debbie had never seen her like this before, she never let failed relationships get the better of her, so this was definitely uncharted tertiary for the Mother of two.

 

“Maybe.” Debbie nodded along with her Mother. It pained her to look at the blonde, this wasn’t who she was. She didn’t wallow in her own self-pity, she didn’t kick herself for a mistake that wasn’t even her fault. The Charity Dingle that she knew would march back into her pub, look Vanessa in the eye and set her straight. But this was a side that Debbie didn’t even know existed, she had given up and the brunette felt nothing but underlying guilt. “Look, I was just excited to see you all bubbly about someone again. You’ve had this goofy smile plastered on your face since your birthday.”

 

“Give over,” Charity gently shoved the brunette, a light blush dancing along her cheeks. She couldn’t deny it, she liked Vanessa bloody Woodfield, but none of that mattered now, all because of her big gob.

 

“It’s true!” Debbie’s eyes lit up as she honed in on the goofy smile peaking through. “You really like her, and because of me it’s ruined.” She frowned, wishing that she could go back in time and set things right, if anyone deserved some happiness in her life it was Charity.

 

“Well, like I said. It nothing would have come from it anyway.” The blonde snapped, hating that her daughter was beating herself up over what would have probably been a failure of a relationship anyway. “She can do so much better than a washed up barmaid, who spent her youth turning tricks.”

 

“Mum, she’s read your file right?” Debbie asked sweetly, as she reached out to take her Mother’s hand gently, while the blonde nodded weakly. “And she saw what you did to that jerk’s house.” She asked a hint of playfulness poking through, while her Mother continued to nod along with her. “And yet she still went up to the bar, she still wanted to get to know you.” She finished, pretending to be shocked. She had hoped that this would lift the blonde’s spirits, but all it did was remind Charity of what her big mouth had cost her.

 

“Well, she doesn’t now. Tell Chas I’ll be out once she’s gone.” Charity stood abruptly and moved to lean against the fireplace, resting her head in hands defeatedly.

 

“I really am sorry. You know that right?” The brunette whispered as she watched her Mother from afar.

 

“Yeah, I know babe.” The blonde muttered back. Debbie knew that she had to fix this and fast.

 

***

 

Vanessa had hardly spoken two words since they sat down at the table. She picked at her food, downed her drinks and prayed that Charity would stay away. She was embarrassed, it definitely wasn’t what she had imagined would happen when she saw the blonde woman again. She wanted to run away, hide from the peering eyes of her new neighbours. Her family hadn’t made a big deal out of the outburst thankfully. They chose to avoid any mentions of the blonde barmaid, but she could see the worried looks they were exchanging. The DI could tell that her sister had been dying to talk about what happened, she had somehow managed to hold her tongue throughout the dinner. It was only when their Dad and Megan went up to the bar for another round of drinks, that the shopkeeper finally spoke up.

 

“So, that wasn’t the warmest of welcomes.” She murmured before necking the rest of her drink. Vanessa knew that she meant well and that she was only trying to look out for her. But she really wasn’t in any mood to talk about what had happened.

 

“Tracy, please don’t.” Vanessa moaned as her head fell into her hands, and she let out a stifled sigh. Today was meant to be the start of the next chapter of her life, and she was naive enough to think that there was the slightest possibility that Charity could be in it. Boy, was she wrong.

 

“I won’t…I just want to make sure you’re okay.” The taller blonde reached out and placed a loving hand on her sister’s leg. Tracy was furious, she wanted to march into that back room and give Charity Dingle a piece of her mind. She wanted to tell her how much of a catch her sister was, and how she didn’t deserve her. But she didn’t, she held her tongue and supported Vanessa because that’s what she needed right now.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” The DI laughed obnoxiously loud, startling the blonde shopkeeper. “So, Charity Dingle doesn’t have a crush on me, big deal.” She shrugged, trying to act as nonchalant about the situation as possible. “But hey! She thinks I’m hot so there’s always that!”

 

“I saw your face V, I know that it got to you.” Tracy shook her head, not allowing Vanessa to bury these feelings. She knew how it felt to keep things hidden away, and how much of a toll it took on a person.

 

“I’m just glad that you didn’t waste any more time on her.” Frank jumped in as he set the drinks down in front of the talking women.

 

“Great, now you’re starting and all.” Vanessa rolled her eyes in aggravation, before taking a large gulp of her third pint.

 

“I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but she’s trouble sweetheart.” Her Dad smiled sweetly, slightly relieved that her daughter would be staying well away from Charity.

 

“Your Dad’s right Vanessa.” Megan piped, only annoying the DI even more.

 

“Well, none of that matters now anyway.” She huffed out, finally reaching her boiling point. Calmly she raised her pint into the air. “Here’s to staying clear of blonde barmaids.”

 

“Here, here.” The group nodded as their glasses clinked together.

 

“Sorry to interrupt.” Debbie crept up towards the table, she had been watching the group from afar and thought that it was about time that she tried to fix her mistake.

 

“Debbie, nice to see you again.” Vanessa nearly choked on her drink as she looked up at the young woman. She had really hoped that the Dingle women would think to leave well alone after Charity’s outburst, and she definitely didn’t expect for Debbie to be the one to approach her.

 

“You too. Can I talk to you for a second?” The brunette asked sending the blonde a pleading smile.

 

“What about?” Frank asked defensively, not about to let his daughter get sucked back into the Dingle’s clutches again. The whole lot of them were trouble and he’d do anything to keep Vanessa away from them.

 

“Maybe in private…it’s about my Mum.” Debbie whispered to Vanessa, ignoring Frank and his comment. This was going to be hard enough, without anyone else butting in.

 

“If it’s about her, then you can just get it over and done with here.” Vanessa shook her head, brushing the brunette’s comments off like she wasn’t affected by Charity’s words, but Debbie could easily see how annoyed and miserable she was, making the guilt rise up her throat and nearly choke her.

 

Debbie knew that her Mum wouldn’t appreciate her talking to Vanessa, especially not in front of a pub full of punters who were honing in on their conversation. But she knew that she had to do something to fix her mistakes, she owed her Mum that much. “She’s really upset about what you heard.”

 

“Oh, and why would that be?” The DI laughed, her infuriation seeping through every word. They were both grown ass women, and she couldn’t believe that Charity had sent her daughter to try and sort out her mess.

 

“Look, she’d kill me for even talking to you…but all that stuff that she said.” Debbie paused, looking around to fend off prying eyes. “She was only saying it to get me and Chas off her case.”

 

“Go on.” Tracy smiled mischievously, the gossip in her getting the better of her.

 

“We were kind of teasing her a little, and she blew up.” She explained, watching how Vanessa’s face soften slightly. “She didn’t mean any of it, I swear.”

 

“Why can’t she tell me any of this herself?” Vanessa snapped, unamused by the whole situation. She didn’t ask for any of this trouble, all she wanted was a quiet dinner with her family and now all she had was a headache and a hiding barmaid.

 

“Because she’s Charity Dingle, and she thinks emotions are for the weak.” The brunette huffed out, this definitely wasn’t as easy as she thought it was going to be, both women as stubborn and angry as the other. “Is there anyway, you could maybe give her another chance?”

 

“I know you mean well, but there wasn’t even anything going on between me and Charity.” Vanessa chuckled, trying to brush their limited interaction off as if it was nothing. “She bought me a drink, and we chatted for about five minutes.”

 

“And you’re telling me you didn’t feel anything?” Debbie shot back, not buying Vanessa’s act for one second. She had seen the looks they were throwing each other in the police station, and she watched how the DI could hardly take her eyes off her Mum in the pub. There was something there, something that no amount of scowling and fake laughter could hide. “Because I know she did, and she’s been kicking herself since then because she didn’t have the guts to ask for your number. Vanessa stood abruptly and pulled Debbie away from the group. She didn’t need them knowing any more than they already did, especially not how she really felt about Charity, now that she knew how they really feel about her.

 

“Of course I felt something…” Vanessa whispered, the scowl completely vanished and replaced with a small shy smile.

 

“Then go out the back and talk to her.” The Mum of two begged, excited that she’d finally been able to make progress with Vanessa.

 

“I can’t.” The DI shook her head and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

 

“Duckies!” Both women jumped as the toddler ran over, his excitement reaching its boiling point.

 

“Just one-second sweetheart.” Vanessa smiled down at the small boy, who hugged her leg, hiding away from Debbie. “I’ve got my son and a full-time job. I don’t have time to be chasing someone, who made it pretty clear that she didn’t want me.” The DI nodded, finished with this conversation. As much as she might have wanted to see where things with Charity might have gone, she wasn’t about to start chasing the blonde. If she wanted her, she knew where she was.


	8. Chapter 8

Vanessa had kept her nose down and busied herself with work since her run-in with Charity. She had avoided the pub at all costs and turned her living room to her own little bar for her, Tracy and Rhona. She wasn’t ready to face the blonde woman, she was pissed, she was embarrassed, but most annoyingly she was miserable. She hated how much she had let Charity get to her. But most annoyingly Vanessa hated how even after what the blonde had said, she still wanted to get to know Charity. She wanted to hear that contagious laugh, and make her green eyes light up. She wanted to get past her many walls and meet the real Charity Dingle. But she couldn’t make the first move. It had to be up to Charity, and so far she had made no effort to reach out.

 

The DI had spent the better part of her morning chasing a naked Johnny around the house, trying to get him dressed for daycare, so by the time she slumped into her sister’s shop, she was in no mood for anything or anyone. “Good Morning V,” Tracy called out cheerfully, she still couldn’t believe that her sister was living across the road. But the huge smile was quickly wiped away when she only received a grunt from the small blonde as she sat down defeatedly at her usual table. “Or maybe not.” The shopkeeper whispered to herself. She knew exactly what was going on, what had been going on for the past few days. She wished that Vanessa would realise that she was so much better than Charity freaking Dingle.

 

“Coffee please,” Vanessa mumbled sadly, bringing the usual cheery atmosphere down.

 

“What’s up with her?” David whispered to his wife, as he observed the depressed looking Detective. He’d been away the past few days, but Tracy had managed to fill him in slightly on what had been happening.

 

“She must still be moping about what happened in the pub,” Tracy whispered back as she got to work on Vanessa’s usual coffee order.

 

“When Charity rejected her in front of everyone?” Her husband muttered while they both glanced over at the frowning woman.

 

“I can hear you ya know!” Vanessa snapped, making the couple jump and quickly get back to work. “And she didn’t reject me! She just made her dislike for me very clear.” She added sarcastically while picking at her nails.

 

“Sorry Ness,” Tracy smiled apologetically as she placed the takeout cup in front of her sister while joining the DI.

 

“Yeah sorry, we didn’t mean no harm.” David smiled as he slid a muffin over to the blonde.

 

“Yeah, I know.” The DI shook her head, any hard feelings wiped away.

 

“I’m worried about you. You moving up here was supposed to be a good thing, but I haven’t seen you smile in days.” The taller blonde reached out and took Vanessa’s hand in her own, prompting David to take his leave.

 

“I just can’t stop thinking about what she said,” Vanessa whispered, her eyes watering as she thought back to that day. “I know I put up a front with Dad and Megan, but it hurt you know.” She muttered as she raked her hands through her hair.

 

“I know.” The shopkeeper nodded, squeezing her sister’s hand tightly. “And I’m sorry, but you can find someone way better than Charity Dingle!” She snorted, earning a scowl from the smaller blonde.

 

“I don’t exactly see a line forming.” She exclaimed, gesturing to the door.

 

“That’s because you need to turn that frown upside down.” Tracy reached over and poked her cheek playfully, making a small smile slip through. “I have a great idea!”

 

“I’m all ears.” Vanessa rolled her eyes, before taking a large gulp of the strong coffee.

 

“Come here after work, I’ve got someone you’d love to meet!” She smiled with a playful wink, making Vanessa want to curl into a ball and die. She had always hated blind dates, and she most certainly wasn’t interested in anyone after her public rejection.

 

“No Tracy. There is no way that you’re setting me up with someone!” Vanessa warned sternly, as she flicked a blueberry at her sister.

 

“Don’t think of it as a setup! Think of it as you meeting a friend of mine…a single lesbian friend, who is also gorgeous!” Tracy explained with a pout, hoping that Vanessa would accept her help.

 

“I don’t know.” The DI muttered, feeling slightly uncomfortable under her sister’s intense stare.

 

“You don’t have to marry the girl! Just have a coffee with her, get to know her.” She exclaimed, a little softer than before as she reclaimed her hand. “It's better than wallowing over Charity Dingle.” She muttered under her breath and into her coffee mug.

 

“I wasn’t wallowing.” Vanessa snarled, having heard every word.

 

“Whatever you say V.” Th shopkeeper smirked wickedly, before pulling up the contact on her phone and turning it to face Vanessa. “Now, am I texting her or not?”

 

“Alright, go on then.” The DI sighed, as Tracy quickly got to work in confirming the already set up date. Vanessa couldn’t believe that she was actually doing this, it had been ages since she’d been on a date. But she knew that this was for the best, even if the date was a complete disaster, she needed to get Charity Dingle out of her system and quick. “I better get going or I’ll be late.” She muttered before shoving the last piece of her muffin into her mouth.

 

“See ya later!” Tracy waved as the DI scurried out of the shop. The blonde woman was beyond excited. She had been wanting to set Vanessa up for ages and knew that Amanda would be the perfect match for her, way more than Charity Dingle could ever be.

 

“You sure this is a good idea babe?” David asked with caution as he claimed Vanessa’s seat.

 

“She needs to get over her already,” His wife smiled back mischievously, she was going to give Vanessa a Dingle detox whether she was ready or not.

 

***

 

“What do you mean Ross is a double agent?!” Charity exclaimed. Cain and Debbie had called in to have a chat with her, but she hadn’t expected to be let in on their little plan so easily. But now that she thought about it, it made sense what they were doing. It was no secret that Ross was still in love with Debbie and that he would do anything for the brunette. “That toerag is playing Joe?” She asked herself more than them. She should have seen it. He had no business to be with Joe that day in the bar, of any of the times after that.

 

“Aye, we thought we could use a man on the inside,” Cain smirked to himself, as he slipped his tea. He was proud of himself and it was showing.

 

“That’s brilliant.” The barmaid smacked his hand playfully. “You’ve excelled yourself this time!” She winked.

 

“Don’t act so surprised.” Debbie chuckled at her parents. Feeling truly relieved that she’s finally cued her Mother in on the plan. “Has he gotten in touch today?” She asked her Dad.

 

“Not yet, I’m meeting up with him later tonight.” He nodded softly at his daughter, before quickly checking the time on his phone. “But first I’ve got an angry Scottish woman to apologise too.” He muttered into his cup as he necked the remainder of his tea.

 

“Give her a gift from Glasgow from me?” Charity called out as he rushed towards the door.

 

“I don’t have a death wish, but by all means give her one yourself.” Cain laughed back before disappearing out of the small pub home. The mother and daughter sat in an awkward silence, the only noise flowing through from the lunch rush. They hadn’t talked much since that day in the pub. Debbie could tell that her Mum was hurting, and she wished that she could take away the pain so that at least one of them were happy.

 

“You okay?” Debbie muttered when the deafening silence became too much.

 

“Just peachy. Why wouldn’t I be?” Charity smiled back, her voice laced with sarcasm. She didn’t want to be angry at Debbie, or Chas for that matter. But she was miserable, and they were part of the problem.

 

“Have you spoken to Vanessa yet?” The brunette pressed, deciding that it was best to ask head on instead of dancing around the subject.

 

“Not this again! You are like a broken record babe!” The blonde woman snapped as she quickly gathered the empty mugs and walked into the kitchen. “How many different ways do I have to tell you. Whatever I felt for Vanessa Woodfield is in the past!” She added while leaning against the counter next to the sink.

 

“I’ll stop asking when you’ve convinced me of that!” Debbie snapped at her Mum, frustrated by her childish behaviour. “You’re more broody than my Dad!” She quipped, making her Mother’s mouth hang open in shock.

 

“You take that back!” She protested as she stormed back over to the table. “And besides Vanessa knows where am if she wants me!” She brushed the conversation off in its entirety while slumping back into her chair.

 

“God, you two are almost as bad as each other!” The brunette muttered under her breath, as Charity’s eyes widen in shock.

 

“How...please tell me you haven’t talked to her Debs.” Charity bit her lip, trying to hold back the rage that was coursing through her.

 

“It was only once, and I wanted to explain that it was my fault, not yours.” Debbie quickly apologised, scared of the explosion that she knew was about to occur.

 

“This is brilliant this is!” Charity smacked the table in anger. “So not only does she think I’m a massive cow, but I’m also the bitch that gets my daughter to right my wrongs for me!” She ranted, venom and despair laced in her words, while she hid her face in her hands. She couldn’t face Vanessa, not any more, she’d be laughed out of the room quicker than Paddy in that bloody clown costume.

 

“I thought I was helping Mother! I just want you to be happy for once!” The brunette slowly reached out to brush her fingers against the shelve of her Mum’s jacket.

 

“Yeah, well news flash Debs. People like me don’t get their happily ever after, and they certainly don’t get with a copper!” Charity shook her head, as she leaned back in her chair, looking more miserable than before.

 

“Who’s going after a copper?” Chas asked as she walked into the room, making Charity’s already bad day even worse.

 

“And this days just gets better and better!” The blonde muttered to herself, as her cousin sat down at the table.

 

“Please tell me that you’re not sleeping with a copper to have Joe fitted up for some horrific crime.” The pub owner warned, pointing an accusing finger at the blonde.

 

“I’m not, although I’ll add that one to my list.” She winked back, her usual sarcastic wit pushing through the misery.

 

“Vanessa is a DI,” Debbie spoke up, earning an ungodly scowl and grumble from her Mother.

 

“Debbie!” Charity hissed through gritted teeth.

 

“She was gonna find out eventually!” The brunette hissed back, sick and tired of the whole back and forth with her Mum. “She’s the one that was assigned to our case when we trashed Joe’s house.” She explained to Chas, whose mouth hung open as the younger woman spoke.

 

“You...and a copper?” She pointed to Charity in disbelief, receiving a weak nod in response. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.” The brunette chuckled playfully.

 

“Almost as hilarious as you and Paddy!” Charity shot as she pulled a disgusted face at the older woman.

 

“You leave my Paddy out of this lady!” Chas warned, the smile suddenly wiped off her face.

 

“Well, then you keep it shut about Vanessa!” The blonde counterattacked before she realised what she had been saying. She had been defending Vanessa to her own family without realising, and that shocked her. She never cared enough to defend anyone but her kids before, but somehow Vanessa had slipped through with ease. “And it’s not like anything happened, or is going to happen!” She shrugged, not allowing any of her real emotions to come seeping through.

 

“And if it had of, when were you planning on telling us?” The older Dingle asked, her tone free of humour or judgement.

 

“I dunno, I was banking on my track record kicking into effect before it got serious anyway.” Charity snorted, not used to talking about emotions or feelings with anyone before.

 

“Look, we’re Dingles. Us and coppers, we don’t mix.” Chas spoke reassuringly, earning a chorus of nods from the two women. “But, if this is the reason you’re acting like a jackass, then you need to snap out of it!” She slapped her cousin’s hand playfully, making her snatch it away quickly.

 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her.” Debbie piped in, as she smirked at her Mother.

 

“Sure, some of us will be mad, shocked even. But at the end of the day, if Vanessa is the person who makes you happy and finally shuts that gob of yours, then we’ll get over her unfortunate profession.” The brunette smiled genuinely as Charity finally met her gaze. She wanted her cousin to find the same happiness as her, even after all the stunts she had pulled over the years, she deserved it just as much as anyone.

 

“Thanks, Chas...but, I don’t even think I stand a chance anymore.” Charity sighed heavily, as she ruffled her mane of hair.

 

“Never know till you try kid.” The barmaid winked, as she gently pinched the blonde’s cheek. Debbie smiled to herself shyly, they had finally managed to break through her Mother’s wall. Now, all they had to do was get Vanessa back into her life.


	9. Chapter 9

“Are you nervous?” Tracy asked as Vanessa strutted into the shop, looking as gorgeous as ever. She was wearing skin-tight jeans, that hugged her backside nicely and a simple yellow woolly jumper, opting for a more casual approach to the date.

 

“A little. God, I haven’t done this in ages.” Vanessa admitted as she sat on one of the stools at the counter. She was purposely downplaying her level of nervousness, truthfully she had been a bumbling idiot all day and had almost text Tracy, to cancel at least five times.

 

“Maybe keep that to yourself, yeah?” The shopkeeper winked playfully, as she reached out to give the DI a comforting squeeze. Both women jumped slightly as the doorbell to the shop chimed and in walked Vanessa’s date. “V, she’s here,” Tracy whispered as she watched the small blonde approach them. “Hey, Amanda! This is my sister Vanessa!” Vanessa turned to face her date and was immediately blown away. She was absolutely stunning, and way out of her usual league. But something was still bugging her, and she hated herself for even thinking it but, even if her date had been the hottest supermodel in the world, she’d still be wishing that it was Charity walking through that door. 

 

“Nice to finally put a face to the name. Tracy has told me a lot about you.” Amanda reached out her hand for Vanessa to shake, a sweet smile playing on her red lips. Vanessa smiled shyly, determined to push any of thoughts of the blonde woman out of her mind so that she could focus on the gorgeous woman in front of her.

 

“Likewise.” Vanessa breathed heavily as their hands met, her nerves playing on her like crazy. “Do you want to take a seat and I’ll get the coffees in?” She asked nicely, wanting a few seconds alone with her sister more than anything.

 

“Such a gentlewoman, skinny americano please.” Her date winked as she swayed over to a spare table.

 

“Coming right up” Vanessa muttered, her eyes never leaving the woman’s gorgeous body until Tracy cleared her throat beside her. “Where are you going?!” She quickly asked as Tracy threw on her coat, and David got to work on the order.

 

“I told Rhona I’d meet her at the pub for a drink. You don’t need me cramping your style sis!” The shopkeeper chuckled quietly, before noticing how extremely freaked out her sister was. “Hey, you’ve got this Vanessa Woodfield!”

 

“I’ve got this...god she’s really hot Tracy.” The DI whispered as they both shot a quick glance in Amanda’s direction.

 

“Have fun.” Tracy winked before scurrying out of the shop, shooting Amada a quick wave before she disappeared. Vanessa stood frozen at the counter waiting for David to finish up with their drinks. She had done this before, so why was this so difficult now? She was still as attractive as her thirty-year-old self, and Vanessa knew that. She still had the same spring in her step, the same bright smile. She could do this, she had to do this. Charity had made her feelings perfectly clear, and she wasn’t about to waste another minute waiting around for her.

 

“So, Amanda. Tell me a little something about yourself!” Vanessa smiled sweetly as slid the coffee cup over to the blonde woman.

 

The two women got along perfectly, to begin with. Amanda had talked about her hobbies and her cat. While Vanessa gushed about Johnny and her recent move. The conversation was light and easy, but not exactly the most stimulating and Vanessa had quickly found herself completely bored out of her mind. Two cups of coffee later, Amanda had just finished telling Vanessa about how she got her promotion when the tables quickly turned.

 

“And then, it turned out that he was embezzling everything from an offshore account, so that’s how I landed my promotion!” Amanda laughed light-heartedly, while Vanessa was just glad for the super long story to be finally over. While she definitely found the accountant very attractive, she wasn’t the most interesting of people. 

 

“Woah, quite the cautionary tale.” Vanessa fake smiled as she finished the last few drops of coffee, which happened to be the only thing keeping her awake.

 

“The world of accounting is far more dangerous than people think.” She winked as she moved her foot to brush against Vanessa’s leg, sending jolts of electricity coursing through the DI’s body. “But I’m sure you know all about danger, being a cop and that.”

 

“I try to stay away from the danger these days actually. But I have been in a few tough spots, once or twice.” The smaller blonde coughed, slightly taken aback by the sudden contact.

 

“Mysterious, I like it.” She purred, as her fingers crept over to play with Vanessa’s silver ring. “Have you ever had to use your gun?” She whispered, a hint of excitement flashing across her face.

 

“I’ve had to take it out a few times, but I’ve never shot at someone if that’s what you’re asking.” Vanessa smiled, slightly uncomfortable under the woman’s hungry gaze.

 

“What about the handcuffs...ever have a little fun with them?” Amanda leaned forward, making Vanessa’s practically choke on the biscuit she had been nibbling on. Vanessa was going to kill Tracy when she finally got her hands on her if she could manage to escape the hot and heavy Amanda, and her cop fetish.

 

***

Rhona and Tracy sat happily in the corner table at the Woolpack. Before Vanessa moved to the village they hadn’t spent much time together, but over the past week they had really gotten to know each other and found that they both were in dire need of some friends. With a shared bottle of white wine, the two women joked, chatted and prayed that Vanessa’s date went well. Vanessa had been the main topic of conversation between them when alone together. Both worried about the blonde and her situation with Charity. They knew what the barmaid was really, they knew about the schemes and games she played with people, and prayed that Vanessa wouldn’t fall victim to her.

 

Tracy had just refilled their glasses when her phone sprang to life on the table. “Oh, that’s David.” She smiled brightly, her husband had been sending her updates about Vanessa’s date and from what he said the two seemed to be getting along great.

 

“How’s Vanessa’s date going?” Rhona asked, failing to notice the blonde barmaid that was well within earshot.

 

“Vanessa is on a date?” Charity suddenly stopped in front of their table, trying to keep any emotions from creeping onto her face. She had been overjoyed when she saw the blonde shopkeeper walk through the door, but the smile was quickly wiped off her face when she realised that Vanessa wasn’t going to be joining her sister.

 

“Why is that any concern of yours? Was it not about a week ago, when you announced to the entire pub that you didn’t like her?” Tracy snapped, wishing that the blonde would just take a hint and leave Vanessa alone already.

 

“Eight days ago actually...and I’ve been meaning to apologise for that.” The blonde ducked her head slightly, a sad smile tugging on her lips. Rhona studied the barmaid carefully, she could see right through her tough girl act momentarily. She looked genuinely gutted to hear about Vanessa, and that was both shocking and comforting to the vet.

 

“I believe your daughter beat you too, and V told her what she’ll tell you. She’s not interested.” Tracy smirked, taking great pleasure in crushing any hope the blonde barmaid might have still had.

 

“If that’s the case, I’d still like to hear it come from her. Can you tell her that from me?” She asked, turning to face Rhona more than Tracy. The vet shot the barmaid a small smile, before nodding on Tracy’s behalf. 

 

“Hey, don't you think you should have let Vanessa tell her first?” The vet asked the chuckling blonde, as they watched Charity walk back to her usual place behind the bar, to resume her whatever magazine she was engrossed in.

 

“Probably, but I’m just so angry! She’s been miserable all week, and now she’s finally starting to move on and Charity is going to ruin everything!” The shopkeeper shrugged, as she shot dirty looks in Charity’s direction.

 

“Or, just hear me out okay.” Rhona calmly reached over and patted the shopkeeper’s hand to get her full attention. “Or, Charity could genuinely be sorry for what she said, and that alone could be what makes Vanessa happy again!” She suggested, making the smirk on Tracy’s face fade. Of course, she had considered that option, more than once. But even if Charity did apologise for what she said, she was worried about Vanessa being involved with that family.

 

“You think that V actually likes her?” Tracy muttered feeling slightly bad for all the interfering she had been doing.

 

“I think that they both have been miserable since that day, and if that doesn’t spell out feelings...then I’ve lost all faith in the art of dating!” The brunette sighed as they both glanced over at Charity, who had completely abandoned the bar and the magazine in her hand. She wasn’t the Charity that had kept them entertained with her wrongdoings or bar brawls. She looked numb, defeated.

 

“Should I tell her that Charity was asking after her then?” The shopkeeper asked, her eyes never leaving the blonde. She knew that if anyone had to tell Vanessa, it had to be her.

 

“That’s up to you Tracy,” Rhona mumbled, as Tracy turned back around to face her. “But, if you were in her shoes. Would you want to know?” She asked, trusting that Tracy was going to do the right thing by both Charity and Vanessa.

 

“Maybe not right after a date...but yeah. I’d want to know.” Tracy smiled weakly, she was so glad she had Rhona to help her through things. She knew that if the vet hadn’t talked some sense into her that she probably wouldn’t have told Vanessa anything about Charity and let them both suffer in silence. But she knew now that, that was wrong. That even Charity Dingle deserved the chance at happiness, and her sister certainly did. The shopkeeper was about to down the rest of her drink when her phone jumped to life once again. As she quickly read the text message, the blonde had to place a firm hand over her mouth to hold the laughter in. “Oh god...Amanda’s asking her about handcuffs.” She whispered to Rhona, causing them to both burst out laughing.

 

“We are definitely going to need to bring a bottle home with us,” Rhona commented as she read to text to make sure that Tract wasn’t taking the mick.

 

“Damn straight.” Tracy laughed as they finished their own bottle and waited for Vanessa to text them.

 

Both women were slightly buzzed when the text from Vanessa came through, warning her sister to get over to Tug Ghyll as soon as possible. So armed with a fresh bottle of wine, the two began to stumble out of the bar. Only, Rhona was quickly stopped in her tracks as she caught sight of Charity waving her over.

 

“I’ll catch up! I just need to talk to Marlon quickly.” Rhona quickly lied as she unlooped her arm from Tracy’s and wandered back over to the bar. “You waved.” She said after Tracy exited the pub.

 

“This thing with Vanessa and this girl...is it serious?” Charity whispered, avoiding eye contact with the brunette as she spoke.

 

“Why don’t you ask her yourself Charity?” The vet huffed. Having listened to Vanessa go on and on about Charity all week, she wasn’t about to become the Vanessa-outlet for Charity and all.

 

“It was just an innocent question, Rhona.” The barmaid snarled as she fiddled with a beer mat and bit her lip.

 

“But it wasn’t.” Rhona rolled her eyes, before leaning in closer to the blonde woman. “So why don’t you stop playing games, Charity and actually talk her!”

 

“I want to! But I don’t think that she’d appreciate a surprise visit from the local barmaid.” Charity whisper-shouted at the vet, before dropping her head into her hands defeatedly.

 

Rhona finally had enough, she was sick of them both dancing around each other when it was very obvious that they were borderline obsessed with each other. Frustratingly, she grabbed Charity’s order pad and quickly wrote down Vanessa’s number. “I’m doing this for Vanessa, you owe her an apology.” She ripped the piece of paper from the pad and handed it to Charity. “Don’t waste this chance Charity.” She warned, as the blonde took the paper from her hand, thankfully. Rhona rolled her eyes before turning on her heels and heading for the exit, not wanting to waste any more time playing Mother to two grown women.

 

“Rhona!” Charity called out just as the vet was about to exit the pub. “Thank you.” She nodded at the brunette with a huge smile suddenly plastered on her face.

 

***

 

“Was it really that bad?” Rhona asked as she settled onto Vanessa’s sofa with a large glass of wine in one hand, and a slice of pizza in the other.

 

“She spent the majority of the date talking about work, and then practically asked me to use the handcuffs on her!” Vanessa exclaimed, making both women burst out laughing. This had possibly been the worst date of her life. It was so bad towards the end, that she even had to fake a work emergency to escape her clutches. Which in the end only made Amanda more excited.

 

“Okay, yes it sounds absolutely horrible.” Tracy shot her sister an extremely apologetic smile, debating whether or not to bring Charity’s little talk.

 

“I don’t know what I was thinking anyway.” The DI sighed heavily before popping a potato wedge into her mouth.

 

“Is this because of Charity?” The brunette asked softly, voicing the giant elephant in the room.

 

“No, it’s because of me.” Vanessa quickly lied, not ready for the backhanded comments and judgemental looks she’d receive if she really vented her feelings about the date and how the blonde woman hadn’t left her thoughts the whole time. “I’m too old to be going on blind dates anyway!” She huffed before scowling at Rhona as the vet snatched the last piece of garlic bread.

 

“Give over! You’re a catch V!” Tracy playfully slapped her knee, as she smiled brightly at her pouting sister.

 

“Thanks, but I’m serious.” Vanessa shook her head, before lifting her glass off the table. “No more blind dates, or hopelessly flirting with barmaids! I’m not going searching for love if it happens then great. But I’m done chasing it.”

 

“Cheers to that!” The shopkeeper winked as they all clinked their glasses. Vanessa was startled slightly as her phone beeped in her back pocket. With confusion plastered onto her face she read and re-read the message on the screen. She knew that one of the women in front of her had a hand in this, but she couldn’t get angry. Not when the words on the screen made her heart flutter, more than the kinky accountant ever could.

_‘Don’t be mad, although you have every right to be. What I said, it was stupid and childish and…I’m sorry DI Sunshine. Can we meet up somewhere to talk? I just want to make this right, and I owe you a proper explanation. I hope to see you again soon…_

_-Charity x’_

Charity had finally made the first move, now it was up to Vanessa…and she had no idea what to do next.


	10. Chapter 10

Three days. Three days since she sent the text, and nothing. She knew that Vanessa had read it straight away, but then radio silence. No typing, no reply, no surprise visit. For three days Charity has been practically lunging at the phone and craning her neck when the pub door opened, and it was starting to get on everyone’s nerves. Charity would be there in body, but her nose would be buried deep her in her phone, trying to will a reply to come through. Even now, with Zak and Lisa informing her and Debbie about Joe Tate’s visit to the Wishing Well Cottage, she had zoned out almost immediately and instead was staring intensely down at her phone.

 

“Mum!” Debbie called out after Lisa’s question aimed at the blonde had gone unanswered. “Earth to Mum,” She called out again, really starting to lose her patience with her Mother and her sudden obsession with her phone. When her pleas for attention had once again fallen on deaf ears, she threw a nearby pillow, hitting the blonde square in the face.

 

“Sorry,” Charity quickly muttered to Zak and Lisa, before sending her daughter a warning glance, daring her to try that again.

 

“You’re worse than the kids with that thing.” Lisa laughed before dipping another biscuit into her tea.

 

“I was just trying to sort out a messed up order, I’ll put it away.” The blonde smiled apologetically, giving her phone one last glance before putting away in her back pocket. She shook her head slightly, silently laughing at herself. She couldn’t believe how pathetic she must look to everyone, pining after someone who obviously isn’t interested anymore, jumping at her phone in hopes that maybe it will be Vanessa’s reply at last.

 

“Now that you’re back with us again,” Debbie smirked at her Mum playfully, making a mental note to bring up her latest obsession when they were alone. “We were just saying how we should go up to home farm with them tonight.” She added, watching how her Mother’s face suddenly dropped and a look of pure worry and doubt took over.

 

“You sure that’s a good idea babes?” Charity stood from her usual place at the table and joined her daughter on the sofa, placing a comforting hand on her thigh as she sat.

 

“We need to show him that he can’t break us and that we’re better off with him and his money!” Debbie shook her head in annoyance, sick of feeling sorry for herself. She was ready to wipe that smirk off Joe Tate’s face, and show him what Dingle women were really like.

 

“Well said, and hey. A party and a giggle might do us a world of good.” The blonde quickly changed her tune as she gently brushed her fingers against her phone. She was done waiting around for a night of fun that might have never happened anyway. This wasn’t who she was, she was a man-eater, not a little lost puppy dog, begging for a bit of Vanessa Woodfield’s attention.

 

“Can I come?” Noah smirked as he bounced into the living, covered in dried mud.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be a footie practice?” Debbie chirped up as she looked at her watch, swearing blind that practice shouldn’t be over until four.

 

“Got out early, coach had a thing or something.” He shrugged at his sister, before stealing a biscuit from her plate. “So, can I come to the party or what?” He asked his Mum, who shot him an amusing smirk.

 

“God no babes! You and the rest of the children will be staying here with Chas!” She shot back at him, earning a groan from the teenage boy.

 

“That’s not fair, Debbie gets to go.” Noah pointed at Debbie, who waved playfully back at him.

 

“Debs is an adult, who has kids of her own. Whenever you fit that description, then you can go to a flaming party.” The blonde smiled apologetically as she draped her arm over his mucky shoulder.

 

“Can I at least order a pizza while you're gone?” He rolled his eyes, a cheeky smile playing on his lips.

 

“We had pizza last night Noah.” She gently slapped his arm, before rolling her eyes. After everything she’s already put him through, she had a hard time saying no to the teen. “Fine! No more than £15!”

 

“Thanks, Mum.” Noah quickly hugged his Mother, before taking off up the stairs.

 

“Right chancer he is!” Lisa laughed before the small group of Dingles got to work on planning their attack tonight.

 

***

 

“So, what are your big plans for your night off?” Rhona asked as she sipped on her hot coffee. It had become Rhona and Vanessa’s little tradition since the blonde moved to the village. They’d try and meet up for coffee and lunch on their days off while the kids were at school. Vanessa had jumped at the offer the first time, having not had enough time to get to know anyone since her promotion and move to the Hotten police station.

 

“The usual. I’ve got half a ton of laundry that needs doing and a few episodes of Paw Patrol Johnny and I have been waiting to watch.” Vanessa smiled brightly, she’s been looking forward to this night in for a long while now. Since the move, she has been working like crazy, and while she knows Johnny is perfectly content with her Dad and Tracy, she’d love to be able to spend more time with her son.

 

“Sounds like the perfect nice in.” The vet reached out to pluck a chip from Vanessa’s plate.

 

“It’s just what I need to be honest.” The DI sighed happily, ready to get her and Johnny settled into a new and hopefully permanent routine. “What about you? Up to anything exciting?”

 

“I told Paddy and Marlon I’d meet them at the pub to talk about Leo’s assistant.” The brunette explained, making Vanessa’s stomach drop at the mention of the pub. Her phone had been burning a hole in her pocket since the day the dreaded message came through. For hours on end, she’s stared at the words, studying them carefully. She wanted to reply, to arrange something. But she couldn’t bring herself to type those words, afraid that she’d live to regret them.

 

“How’s that going?” Vanessa smiled, checking back into the conversation. Over the last week, she has gotten to know the three men in Rhona’s life and was slowly but surely gaining two new friends because of it.

 

“We’re talking about doing a skill’s auction…which reminds me.” The vet paused, catching Vanessa full attention. “Would you be interested in offering up some of your valuable time?”

 

“Of course! I don’t know what I have to offer, but I’m sure I can think of something.” The blonde reached over to take Rhona’s hand. She wanted to do whatever it took to help Rhona and Leo.

 

“Thanks, Ness.” She smiled brightly before the two fell into a comfortable silence. Rhona had been choosing her words carefully all afternoon, but both women couldn’t avoid it forever. “Don’t snap at me.”

 

“If this is about Charity flaming Dingle, I just might!” Vanessa warned, but Rhona could tell that the blonde was dying to talk about the barmaid and the text she received.

 

“I just wanted to know if you replied yet. So, have you?” She asked, receiving a small shake of the DI’s head in response. “You were the one saying that it was her turn to make a move.”

 

“I know what I said Rhona…but now that it’s happened, I don’t know what to say.” Vanessa muttered, a small frown falling onto her lips. She wished that she could just let go of everything and reply to the blonde, but there was just some part of her that wanted to heed the warnings and stay well away.

 

“I mean, you could start with apology accepted, and then go from there.” Rhona smiled supportively. She wished that she could just trap the two women in a room, all alone together, so that they could sort things out once and for all. “She wants to see you again Ness. She wants to make things right.”

 

“Why is everyone acting like this is such a big deal? Any decent human would want to make things less awkward in a small village like this.” The DI shrugged nonchalantly, as she pulled away from the vet's touch and crosses her arms over her chest tightly.

 

“True. But Charity isn’t like most people. She doesn’t do the chasing, she sits back and lets them come to her…when she found out that you were on that date, she was gutted.” The vet informed her, still trying to get her head around the barmaid's sudden personality change herself.

 

“Ugh, I don’t know what to do anymore!” The blonde exclaimed as she buried her head in her hands and let out a loud groan. “All I ever wanted was a bit of fun, and if a relationship stemmed from it then great…but now.” She bit her lip as she tried to think of the right words to describe what she was feeling. Was it simply lust? Or something much more than that.

 

“Now…you have actual feelings for her?” Rhona whispered as she watched Vanessa’s eyes flood with hope and realisation.

 

“She’s all I think about Rhona, I want to see her again too…but I’m scared.” Vanessa whispered back, a sad smile tugging on her pink lips.

 

“She can be pretty terrifying.” The vet quickly agreed, trying to brighten the DI’s mood.

 

“I’m not scared of her Rhona!” She snapped playfully, gently smacking her friend’s hand before resting back in the chair. “I’m scared of falling madly in love with her, only to have my heart broken into a million pieces when she decides that she’s done playing whatever game this is!” She admitted reluctantly.

 

“Wanna know what I think?” Rhona asked rhetorically, receiving a small nod from the blonde. “I think, that you’ve been listening to one too many gossipers. Charity wouldn’t be putting this much effort in, and be looking as miserable as she has the past week if she wasn’t at least a little bit serious.”

 

“You think I should give her another chance?”

 

“It’s not my decision…but what I do think is that you should at least reply to her text and start from there.” The vet smirked as she pushed Vanessa’s phone over to her, feeling extremely relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with someone else’s love life any more. Vanessa smiled shyly as she pulled up Charity’s message and re-read the words for the hundredth time in the last few days. Her fingers danced over the keyboard, trying to find the right words when her phone began to ring and the police station’s number flashed onto her screen.

 

“Hello, DI Woodfield speaking.” Vanessa rolled her eyes, hoping and praying that it had they weren’t ringing to call her in.

 

“Woodfield, Jamerson is off sick so we need you in tonight.” Matthew’s deep voice delivered the dreaded news, making Vanessa curse under her breath.

 

“Seriously Matthews?” She hissed, hating the older man with all her might.

 

“Sorry Kid, see ya in twenty!” He quickly apologised before hanging up the phone.

 

“Crap!” Vanessa swore as she slammed the phone onto the table.

 

“What’s wrong?” Rhona quickly asked, Vanessa’s outburst catching her off guard slightly.

 

“I’ve been called into work, I’ll have to get my Dad to take Johnny again…and deal with my Charity problem tomorrow.” The blonde moaned, feeling awful for having to leave Johnny yet again. But that was the unfortunate price she had to pay for being the newbie. “I have to run, see you Wednesday for lunch?” She asked quickly as she threw on her coat and began to race out of the café. She had a million things to do before she had to be in work, and while she wished that she could take the time to sort out her Charity issue, she knew that it would have to go unresolved for another day. No matter how much she wanted to put things right, at last, she knew that unless Charity wounded up in the station that night, she wouldn’t be seeing her any time soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Game. Set. Match. The Dingles women were ready and roaring. Joseph Tate had taken too much from them already, and it was time they showed him who was boss. Their plan was simple, with only one objective in sight: to destroy him at all costs. Debbie was done playing nice, and while Charity wanted to see the rich prick demolished she couldn’t get Vanessa out of her head. So, tonight was more than just a chance for revenge. It was her opportunity to get the blonde Detective out of her system once and for all. So she got dressed up to the nines, revealed the perfect amount of cleavage and got her war paint on because no matter how much the blonde invaded her mind, she wasn’t planning on going home alone tonight.

 

“Don’t ya think this is a bit much?” Chas joked as she watched the blonde apply her last layer of lipstick and examine herself in the small mirror. “Expecting your lady love to be there?” The brunette teased, shocked when she saw that her comment did nothing to alter the blonde’s surprisingly good mood.

 

“Don’t be daft, and she’s not mine.” Charity laughed as she puffed her mane of hair out slightly, ignoring the twinge of excitement that surged through her body at the mere thought of Vanessa being hers.

 

“Is that a smile I see?” The brunette smirked while Charity carefully put away her makeup, most of it new and usually unused.

 

“It might be.” She smirked back before helping herself to a large glass of wine. “I have decided that I am done waiting around for little miss perfect…and I’m gonna have some fun tonight!” She informed her shocked cousin, who had been hoping that this relationship would work out for her.

 

“Too right!” Debbie suddenly appeared, looking absolutely gorgeous. She had pulled out all the stops, and she knew that she would have any man at that party like putty in her hands with one glance.

 

“Woah babe, you look amazing.” Charity winked playfully at her daughter, who began to strut over to her like she was on a catwalk.

 

“Need to show that prick what he’s missing right?” She smiled mischievously, as her Mum handed her a glass of wine.

 

“You and me both babes.” The blonde gently clinked glasses with the younger woman, before downing most of hers.

 

“Mum! Can I order my pizza yet?” Noah shouted as he bounced into the small living room.

 

“Go for it, cash is on the table!” Charity smiled sweetly at her son while refilling her glass.

 

“Can me and Samson go to his and chill?” He asked as he jumped over the back of the sofa, and landed with a blop.

 

“What? No one is in at his, so no.” She stomped over to him and ruffled his hair playfully. Samson’s house was far too close to home farm for her liking, and with Joe Tate out for Dingle blood, she felt more at peace knowing that Chas was going to be watching over her son while she was away. “You two can ‘chill’ here.” She smirked as a look of protest crept onto Noah’s face.

 

“But he’s got the new VR headset!” Noah exclaimed as he pulled away from her touch.

 

“Then you can play with it tomorrow.” Charity sternly replied putting an abrupt end to the pending argument. “Now, give me a kiss, tell me I look amazing and stay here!”

 

“You look alright.” He rolled his eyes before placing a quick kiss on his Mother’s cheek and disappearing up the stairs mumbling something about waiting for Samson’s pizza order.

 

“That’s my boy.” Charity called after him, flinching slightly as the loud bang of his door echoed through the home.

 

“Hey, did you mean what you said?” Debbie spoke softly as she reached out to gently rub her Mum’s arm. “About giving up on Vanessa…” She pressed, hoping that it was the wine talking.

 

Charity sighed as she shook her head, trying to sort out her messed up feelings. “Debs I put myself out there for her, and she doesn’t want me….so, I’m going to have some fun tonight!” _And try and get those gorgeous blue eyes out of my head,_ Charity thought to herself as Debbie reluctantly agreed with her statement.

 

“If that's the case, then let’s show Detective Inspector Woodfield exactly what she just missed out on!” Debbie winked playfully as she grabbed her jacket from the back of the sofa.

 

“Hopefully by not getting arrested or anything,” Chas spoke up from her place at the table. “You’ve got a shift tomorrow night, and I’ve got a date with Paddy.” Charity rolled her eyes playfully at the older woman before the three started to laugh and secretly pray that the night didn’t end in one of their arrests.

 

***

 

Vanessa had cursed Matthew’s name the entire way to the police station. The look on Johnny’s face had almost killed her on the spot when she told him about her missing out on yet another night together, but after the promise of ice-cream and a visit to the duck pond had been offered up the little boy soon brightened up a bit. She hated this part of her job. The long night shifts, and the unexpected shift changes. It had almost made her reluctant to apply for the promotion in the first place, but she needed the money and knew that it would be a whole lot safer than being patrolling the streets.

 

The night had been a slow one. Vanessa had spent most of it doing paperwork for her latest case and scowling at her partner, who had apologised multiple times since her arrival. The blonde wished for something exciting to come in, anything that would pull her away from her desk and make the hours remaining fly by. She finally got her wish towards the end of her shift when the Chief Inspector walked into the shared workspace.

 

“Matthew’s, Woodfield!” He bellowed, making Vanessa do a tiny fist bump out of his line of sight.

 

“Yes, sir?” Vanessa was first to reach him, ready to get started on whatever he had for them straight away.

 

“Got a new case for ya. Seeing how interested you were in the last Dingle matter, here’s their newest one.” He smirked as he handed the blonde woman the newest Dingle related file. In a blind panic, she quickly flicked through the rough report, talking in as much as she could before handing it off to Matthew’s.

 

“This come in tonight?” She asked, trying to hide the emotions creeping up her throat. She had feared the worse when she read the report that was lacking in some major details. All she could put together was that one of the Dingle’s homes had been knocked down while two people were inside.

 

“Yep, one of you go to the crime scene, and the other to the hospital. They’re claiming that they didn’t order for the house to be knocked down, so find out who did.” The Chief Inspector nodded firmly before taking his leave. The Dingles were not a bunch that the police wanted to be wasting their time on, so he wasn’t going to provide any real manpower for the investigation.

 

“Flip a coin?” Matthew’s asked as he placed the file on the closest desk and reached into his pocket to pull out a handful of loose change.

 

“Nope, I’m not freezing my ass off when it’s meant to be my night off!” Vanessa smirked as she pushed past the plump man. “I’ll text you from the hospital.” She shouted over her shoulder before she quickly walked out of the station and headed towards her blue beetle, planning to head home after talking to the Dingles.

 

Vanessa had been kicking herself the entire way to the hospital. She regretted waiting and not replying to Charity. She regretted letting idle gossip get to her and she prayed that the blonde was okay. Matthew’s had called her from the scene of the crime to fill her in on the missing details from the report. A wave of relief fell over her when she heard that it was two boys that had been rushed to the hospital and not her blonde barmaid. She still felt terrible though. She knew that both Charity and Debbie had young children, and she knew that emotions would be running high when she reached the hospital.

 

As she waltzed into the hospital waiting room she wasn’t surprised to see a large group rallied around the blonde woman. “Charity?” The DI quickly clamped her jaw shut as the word involuntarily left her mouth, prompting the group to shift their attention angrily to the intruder.

 

“Now she shows up!” Charity muttered shooting daggers at the nervous blonde woman, who began to approach with caution.

 

“Mum!” Debbie whisper shouted at her Mother, cursing the amount of alcohol the blonde had consumed.

 

“What are you doing here Vanessa?” The blonde pushed herself up to her feet, her head reeling and speech slightly slurred.

 

“I’m actually here on official police business…” Vanessa gulped nervously as she stood her ground, not prepared to show any sign of emotions to the blonde, not while she was on duty.

 

“Of course! Because that’s the only time you let your standards slip.” Charity spat nothing but pure venom laced in her voice. “Here to play hero again? Oh, but wait. You’ve forgotten your cape at home! Better run along and get it!” She exclaimed forgetting that she was in a waiting room with most of her family. Vanessa frowned slightly as Charity’s words seeped in. She wouldn’t hold them against the blonde though. Knowing that the majority of them were due to the alcohol she had obviously consumed, and the looming worry for her family.

 

“Do you two know each other?” Lisa spoke up, brutally reminding Charity that she had an audience.

 

“She moved into Tug Ghyll a few days ago.” Chas quietly replied as she watched on in anticipation of what else was to fall out of her cousin’s mouth.

 

“I’m not here for a fight Charity. I’m here to find out what happened.” Vanessa spoke calmly, trying to maintain her level of professionalism.

 

“My son almost got crushed to death because I was out trying to forget abo-”

 

“I think it’s best you leave it for tonight.” Charity’s shouting was quickly cut off by Debbie, who abruptly stood and walked over to the pair. “We’ve all had quite a bit to drink, and things are a little hazy.” She nodded towards Vanessa, as she gently wrapped her arm around her Mum’s.

 

“Of course. I’ll come back tomorrow to get a statement.” The DI nodded back, as she put away notebook. “Charity, a word in private please?” She whispered softly so that only the pair in front of her could hear.

 

“Of course DI Sunshine!” Charity rolled her eyes as she pulled out of Debbie grip, silently followed the small blonde.

 

“She’s gonna get herself arrested if she keeps that up,” Zak muttered as the two women disappeared down a corridor.

 

“I don’t think Vanessa is interested in arresting her,” Chas smirked, shooting her niece an amused glance.

 

“Shut it, Chas!” Debbie rolled her eyes while re-joining her family.

 

“What’s up buttercup?” Charity asked as Vanessa gently pushed her into an empty break room, that she had originally asked to have for interviews.

 

“Drop the act Charity, I know that this isn’t you.” Vanessa snapped gently while taking a seat on the nearby sofa.

 

“You know nothing about me, Vanessa and you never will!” The blonde hissed directly into Vanessa’s ear, before settling herself on the sofa facing the smaller woman. Silently she studied the blonde woman, she was wearing one of those stupid pantsuits again, and she hated it. She hated how adorable it made the smaller woman, and how much she wanted to rip it off her and take her right there on that sofa.

 

“I wanted to…” Vanessa muttered, avoiding the barmaid’s intense glare. “Look, I’m sorry…for not texting you back.” She hesitantly apologised, thinking of how to explain her reasoning behind it without hurting the blonde anymore.

 

“No water off my back…why didn’t ya?” Charity shrugged nonchalantly, as she ran her tongue over her pearly whites.

 

“If I tell you will you even remember in the morning?” The DI smiled amusingly, seeing right Charity’s tough girl act she was trying and failing to keep up. She saw the hunger hidden behind the eye makeup and the way the barmaid studied her body. She knew that no matter what Charity claimed, she still wanted her just as much as she did.

 

“Probably,” She shrugged while picking at her freshly painted nails.

 

“I let idle gossip get the better of me, and that was wrong,” Vanessa admitted, ashamed of her actions. But after Charity’s outburst in the pub, everyone seemed to have an opinion on her relationship with the barmaid and not many of them had painted the blonde in a positive light.

 

“No, it wasn’t…you should listen to them. They know me better than anyone else.” Charity whispered softly, prompting Vanessa to finally meet her gaze. Their eyes locked with ease, and it was as if nothing else in the world mattered. They both could see how much they wanted each other, and how much the past few days had hurt the other.

 

“Well, I don’t believe that for one second.” The DI stood and took a seat next to Charity, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the blonde.

 

“I meant what I said…well wrote.” The blonde muttered, her whole body buzzing with excitement. It had been so long since she felt this strong of an urge to reach out and feel someone skin against hers, to pressed her lips against Vanessa’s wanting ones and trace her hands all over the blonde's body. “I am sorry for how things went down…I had actually been talking myself into buying to another drink, only an off shift one.” She reluctantly admitted, allowing the DI to see a softer more vulnerable side that didn’t surface very often.

 

“I’d like that if the offer still stands?” Vanessa whispered, as her fingers brushed against Charity’s, freaking the blonde woman out slightly and prompting her to pull her hand away.

 

“Maybe, in a bit. Tonight made me realise that I’ve been focusing too much of my attention on myself and everyone around me and not on my boys.” She spoke quickly, with a hint of an apology dancing on her tongue. She wanted to allow Vanessa to touch her, to let her in and take down the walls that have been building over the years. But she was scared, scared that the DI would take one look at the woman she really was and run the other way. Scared that her past would catch up with her just as it had in all of her previous relationships.

 

“I get that, I should be at home with Johnny right now…” The smaller woman smiled sadly, thinking about how she didn’t get to tuck her little boy into bed yet again.

 

“But instead you’re here taking abuse from me.” Charity joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. This was the longest conversation she’d ever really had with Vanessa, and she secretly wished that it could go on forever.

 

“I’ve been in worse situations, and besides at least I’m not stuck out in the cold.” Vanessa pointed out a hint of amusement to her voice. She could already imagine her partner, with his cheeks rosy from the cold, cursing her name.

 

“And the company isn’t too bad as well.” She threw the DI a cheeky wink, relieved that all the awkwardness and hard feelings had left them at last.

 

“Of course there’s always that!” The smaller woman quickly agreed before they both let out a series of soft giggles that were definitely a welcomed sound.

 

“I should get back, in case the doctor or something comes looking.” The soft smile on Charity’s face was quickly wiped away as she thought back to the reason why she was stuck in the hospital in the first place: Noah. The doctors hadn’t been able to tell her much when she first arrived, and they had been awaiting any kind of news on both him and Samson when Vanessa showed up.

 

“If he’s anything like his Mother, he'll be just fine.” Vanessa’s words were quiet and soft, and just what Charity needed to keep her from breaking down. Unexpectedly, the barmaid reached out take placed her hand over Vanessa’s, her own unique way of thanking the DI without having to actually say those words.

 

“Are you staying on the case?” Charity whispered after a few moments of content silence, both relishing in the feeling of their hands joined as one.

 

“Right through till the end. Apparently, I’m some sort of Dingle charmer now.” Vanessa smirked as she squeezed the blonde's hand gently.

 

“You wish.” The blonde snorted playfully, as regrettably stood and pulled the tiny blonde up with her. “I really should get back though.” She smiled gently as their joint hands swung mindlessly between them.

 

“I’ll come around tomorrow morning to have a little chat with everyone, either here or at the pub depending where you are.” The blonde nodded as they walked to the door, reluctantly letting their hands drop as they walked out of the room.

 

“I will look forward to that.” Charity smirked playfully, prompting Vanessa to roll her eyes at the taller woman, an action she had a feeling she’d be doing a whole lot more now that Charity was in her life.

 

“Goodnight Charity,” Vanessa smiled brightly, before taking her leave, ready to head back to her house, her shift finally over.

 

“Hey, you and that girl…did it work out?” Charity shouted down the hall when the annoying voice of doubt wouldn’t shut up.

 

“Nope.” Vanessa stopped and turned to face the nervous looking blonde. “She wasn’t mouthy enough for my liking!” She winked playfully before strutting away, making sure to put an extra sway in her hips because she had a feeling that a certain set of emerald green eyes would be locked onto her until she disappeared, and she wasn’t wrong.


	12. Chapter 12

By the time the Dingles finally left the hospital Charity was absolutely drained. Thankfully both Noah and Samson managed to escape with only a few cuts and bruises. The blonde woman was a cocktail of emotions. Part of her was on cloud nine after her conversation with Vanessa. They had finally cleared the air, and it surprised the blonde with how much she needed that. They had made amazing progress, and Charity was counting down the minutes until she saw the blonde again. But there was always another part of her that felt a twinge of guilt dance through her. She had done it again, put the prospect of a relationship in front of her children. She had sat with Vanessa, flirting and practically undressing her with her eyes, while Noah was left alone and scared after almost being crushed. She knew that things were with Vanessa could end up being just what she needed, and in the long run of things, it could be a great thing for her family as well as her. But she still needed to focus her attention on Noah and Moses, they both needed her more than ever and she had to try and find a way to make both work.

 

After tossing and turning all night, Charity was like a zombie when she finally poked her head through the living room door. Most of the Dingle clan had stayed over, and the ones who didn’t have immediately come over for breakfast and support. Wrapping her silk dressing gown tighter around her exhausted body, she strutted into the living room, smiling brightly at her family members as she passed.

 

“Buddie?” Chas smiled at her cousin, noting how under the layers of sleep deprivation and the remainder of last nights makeup, the blonde looked genuinely happy.

 

“Aye if there’s one going.” She nodded simply as she quickly snatched the last remaining seat at the table. The Dingles were a noisy bunch, all engaged in different conversations that always seemed to weave into each other. Normally this much noise first thing in the morning would drive the blonde woman up the wall, but on this particular morning, she welcomed the noise. We used it to her own advantage, taking a few moments to think of what was to come. She went over her conversation with Vanessa again and again in her head. It was easy and light, while also providing the much-needed jumpstart and reset they needed. She wanted that again. Wanted the friendly banter and flirty comments. She wanted to feel Vanessa’s soft skin against hers again, and to use her over the top confidence to grow a pair and kiss the smaller woman.

 

“Mum!” Noah bellowed from upstairs, pulling the blonde out of her morning daze.

 

“Yes, babes?” She called out as loud as she could, before taking a large bite of her bacon buddie. She couldn’t help but smile as his words reached out, happy to see him back to his normal noisy self again.

 

“Sarah is hogging the bathroom!” He shouted again, his voice and the stomping footsteps echoing through the small house.

 

“I’m not! I had to wait for Samson to get out!” Sarah counterattacked bickering with the teen, she refused to think of as her uncle.

 

“You two sort it out between yourselves!” The blonde shouted over the Dingle’s voices, the teenager's voices fading as they brought the argument away from the staircase they had been shouting down. “I hardly got any sleep last night.” She muttered, catching the attention of Lisa who was sat beside her nursing a cup of tea.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be out of your hair in a few days.” Lisa smiled gently, hating that she was having to impose on the two pub owners.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s a cold bed that’s keeping her up at night, not Uncle Zak’s snoring.” Chas laughed sharply, catching the attention of the surrounding Dingles and prompting Charity to send an ungodly glare towards her smirking cousin.

 

“I didn’t think your bed was ever cold.” Cain winked playfully, his mouth full of bacon as he spoke.

 

“Oi! Are you calling me a slapper?” Charity exclaimed, pretending to be offended by her ex’s comment. She was happy that they had finally gotten to this place in their friendship. It had been a long road, full of bumps and screw-ups, but it had all been worth it in the end. They had a beautiful daughter together, and two amazing grandkids, making all the mess and heartache more than worth it.

 

“Yes, I think he is.” Debbie laughed at her bickering parents, as she sipped on her tea from her place on the sofa, where she cuddled up next to her son happily.

 

“I’ll have you know that all the champagne went to my head at the party, that plus the stress of my son almost getting killed last night gave me a bursting headache.” The barmaid pulled faces at Cain, who threw her a few questionable smirks in return.

 

“Well, you’re lucky you didn’t get arrested last night with the way you were talking to that copper!” Lisa spoke up, earning a few groans of agreement. Charity cringed, the thoughts of her waiting room actions flooding back to her. She had been horrible to the blonde, who had just been trying to do her job, and she definitely owed her a drink on the house the next time she came into the pub.

 

“What did she want to talk to you about anyway?” Zak coughed, pulling himself away from his paper to get a line in on the latest scoop.

 

“Just Noah, and the house mostly.” Charity shrugged, noticing the shared glances that went on between her daughter and cousin. “She’s coming around at some point today to talk to everyone.” She added quickly, hiding the smug smirk on her lips with her mug as she spoke.

 

“Was it Mighty Mouse?” Cain chuckled, making Charity roll her eyes at his newest nickname for the blonde. Small fry had been bad enough, but this new one really started to grind on her gears a bit.

 

“Who?” Lisa laughed, pulling the blonde away from her attempts to strangle the scruffy man with her mind.

 

“The one from the pub that time, ‘member Sammy?” He pressed on, slapping his brother gently on the back.

 

“Aye, It was her alright.” Sammy nodded along, as Lidia reached over to wipe the brown sauce from his chin.

 

“Her name is DI Woodfield.” Charity quickly snapped at the stunned man. He couldn’t for the life of himself figure out what had prompted the sudden outburst, but he planned to get to the bottom of it.

 

“That’s not what you called her last night love.” The oldest Dingle woman spoke with caution, as worried looks were exchanged amongst the clan.

 

“Yeah, well I wasn’t really in the mood for her enteral sunshine crap last night.” The blonde plastered on her signature smirk, trying to hide her protectiveness for the smaller woman that had suddenly come out of nowhere.

 

The awkwardness in the room could be cut with a knife. The whole group afraid to mutter a single word about the blonde police officer, and intrigued by Charity’s odd behaviour. They knew her oh too well at this point, and could easily see that she was keeping things from them again, only this time they hoped that it didn’t land her or any of them in trouble. The parade of stolen glances and muttered words of confusion was quickly interrupted by the soft sound of knocking flowing through the room. Chas quickly rose to her feet and beelined for the door, wanting to get away from the heavy tension in the room.

 

When the brunette strutted back into the room and shot the blonde barmaid a cheeky smirk before whispering. “Speak of the devil.”

 

“Morning all, sorry to interrupt your breakfast.” Vanessa quickly appeared after Chas, smiling softly at the large family. Charity’s eyes widen in shock as their eyes met across the room. She hadn’t expected Vanessa to be here so early, she was still dressed in her pyjamas, her hair was an absolute mess and she still had the makeup on from the night before. Her outfit for the day lay on her bed, pre-planned and flawless.

 

“Aye, you coppers always are sorry,” Cain spoke up, breaking the little staring contest going on between the blonde women.

 

“I’m looking for Noah and Samson Dingle.” The DI coughed, shifting her gaze to the group of scowling Dingles. “I need to take their statements.”

 

“They’re upstairs. I’ll go get ‘em for ya.” Charity quickly stood and scurried out of the room before Vanessa could spare her another word. The blonde had to bite her tongue to hold in the bright smile that was creeping onto her face. She couldn’t comprehend how unbelievably adorable the barmaid looked first thing in the morning, a part of her enjoying this more relaxed, laid-back look more than her undeniably gorgeous outfit from the night before.

 

“Cuppa?” Chas smirked while getting standing to top up her own drink.

 

“No thanks.” The blonde softly replied as she looked around the room, studying the different glares and glances that were being sent her way. She wondered if Charity had told them about what happened the night before, if that was why they were judging her immensely. But it couldn’t have been, if the Dingles were anything like Charity then she knew for sure that there would have been some snide remark at this point, so the DI put the discomfort down to the questionable relationship the Dingles seemed to have with Hotten Police.

 

“It’s Joe Tate you should be hassling, not two traumatised kids,” Lisa spoke, prompting a chorus of grunts and agreements to follow.

 

“I’m not here to hassle anyone, I ensure you about that.” The blonde quickly responded, feeling slightly like a deer in the headlights from her position in the middle of the packed living room. “I just want to get to the bottom of what happened last night,” She added, praying that Charity would hurry back and provide that small layer of safety that she brought with her.

 

“So, are you going to be talking to Tate or not?” Cain spoke up, smirking at the small Detective. Vanessa had to hold in the hearty laugh that was creeping up her throat, at the expense of his pathetic attempts to intimidate her once again.

 

“Yes, I will be paying a visit to Mr Tate,” Vanessa smirked at the brooding man, who would scare her a whole lot more if his face wasn’t covered in brown sauce. “Do you have any proof that Mr Tate is involved?” She slowly looked around the entire group, giving them all a chance to say their piece before she had to get to work on the interviews she came to carry out.

 

“How long have you got?” Zak nodded in appreciation, ready to give the blonde copper a chance.

 

“As long as you need.” She smiled softly, before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

 

***

 

Charity had practically thrown her outfit for the day onto her tired body. She had opted for a flowing black blouse, with skin-tight denim jeans. Her hair hung almost effortlessly half sprawled on her shoulders, and the other half down her back. Her whole body tingled with pure excitement, Vanessa was standing in her living room, in her home. She came back, just like she said she would. They never came back, not unless they wanted something, but Vanessa seemed different. She knew more than most at this stage, she had files upon files of information at her disposal, and none of that scared her away.

 

After she was satisfied with her appearance, Charity quickly made her way to Noah’s room where the three teenagers had all bunked in for the night. As she opened the door the sound of soft laughter could be easily heard drifting through the Mario Kart music.

 

“Hey, there’s a police officer downstairs that wants to talk to you and Samson.” Charity smiled at her son, whose face suddenly dropped.

 

“Are we in trouble?” Samson spoke up, his voice quiet and nervous.

 

“No, of course not. She just wants to figure out what really happened.” The blonde reached out to ruffle his already messy hair, as she studied her son.

 

“Nah, I bet she just wants to fit us up.” The blonde boy snorted, while he set up a solo match for Sarah. “Cain always says us Dingles are easy targets for coppers.” He muttered while strutting over to his Mum, a cheeky smirk playing on his lips.

 

“She’s not like that Noah. She’s one of the good ones.” Charity warned gently, while she reached out to softly run her thumb over the cut on his chin.

 

“How do you know?” Noah pulled away from her touch wincing slightly, his body still tender from the events the night before.

 

“Because she helped me and Debs with the vandalism case.” The barmaid rolled her eyes, before standing to the side of the door and motioning for the two boys to head down the stairs. Charity’s mood had vaulted slightly, she had been worried about how her family would react to the possible relationship that was looming, she had never even stopped to think about what her son would think.

 

***

 

Vanessa felt a tad claustrophobic as she quickly scribbled down notes. With the whole Dingle clan practically surrounding her, she tried her best not to show even the tiniest bit of fear for her safety. She couldn’t believe how much she didn’t know about Charity’s connection to the Tate family, there had been some mentions in her file, but this was something else. She almost felt guilty, Charity should have been the one to tell her, not her family.

 

“So then he had Charity sent down for his death, and Joe actually believes that she did it.” Zak finished his section, most of which Vanessa had a fair idea about beforehand.

 

“And now he’s hell-bent on destroying our family,” Lisa added as she held her husband's hand lovingly, a look of pure fear plastered on her face.

 

“We shouldn’t be talking to her, she’s one of them!” Cain spoke up, for the hundredth time. “Tate probably has her in his back pocket.” He spat at Vanessa, not about to let a copper back into the ranks of the family again.

 

“I can ensure you that he doesn’t.” Vanessa spat back, all her feisty, fiery energy sent his way.

 

“So, now that you know everything. You’ll sort him out?” The oldest Dingle smiled pleadingly at her, he wanted nothing more than for this nightmare to finally be over.

 

“Jesus Zak, you sound like you’re trying to get her to bump him off.” Debbie quickly chuckled as she saw the look on Vanessa’s face after the words left his mouth.

 

“He’s not! The thought never even came into his head!” Chas jumped in, as she placed a cup of tea in front of the DI.

 

“Of course I’m not.” Zak laughed, before gulping slightly. “I may not like him, but at the end of the day Joe is Noah’s brother and I’d never do that to the kid.”

 

“Joe’s my brother?” Noah’s voice cut through the family, as all eyes turned to find him, Charity and Samson standing in the doorway. Charity was at a loss for words, it was finally out. The secret that she had been trying so hard to keep over the last few weeks, it was out in the open.

 

“Nice one Zak!” Debbie hissed.

 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that he was there.” He quickly apologised to Charity, who shook her head weakly in response.

 

“Umm, I should probably come back at another time for their statements.” Vanessa coughed nervously, as she quickly stood.

 

“Yeah, I think that would be best.” Charity nodded as she ground her teeth together, avoiding any eye contact with the frowning Detective.

 

“Thank you for all the useful information. I will definitely be looking into this some more.” The DI smiled sadly at the now silent Dingles, who nodded in reply.

 

“I’ll walk ya out.” The blonde muttered, ignoring the glances her daughter and cousin sent her way, she wasn’t in any form to deal with them two an all.

 

 “Will you be okay?” Vanessa whispered as they reached the front door.

 

“Please Vanessa, just go yeah.” Charity shook her and bit her lip. She was lost in her own head, trying to figure out how she was going to deal with Noah, what she was going to say to him, how he was going to react.

 

“Not till I know that you’ll be okay.” The smaller woman gently reached out and brushed their hands together lightly, afraid to push the woman too far.

 

“It’s gonna be a hard and uncomfortable conversation, but I would have had to tell him sooner or later.” The taller blonde laced their fingers together with ease, taking comfort in Vanessa’s touch once again.

 

“Drink later?” Vanessa ducked her head to try and meet the blonde's gaze.

 

“I’m working, but that doesn’t stop you from keeping me company for a bit.” Charity smiled reluctantly, as she felt Vanessa gently squeeze their hands together.

 

“I’ll see you then,” The DI winked before slipping out the door, regrettably breaking the contact that they both craved so much.

 

Charity slumped against the wall as she slammed the front door shut. Today was supposed to be a fresh start for her, she was going to try and be the perfect Mum, she was going to flirt the pants off of Vanessa and actually make it through a whole shift. But now she had to have the conversation she had been dreading, and she didn’t know how she was going to get through it.

 

“When were you gonna tell me, I had another brother?!” Noah snapped as soon as the blonde walked back into the living room.


	13. Chapter 13

_“When were you gonna tell me, I had another brother?!” Noah snapped as soon as the blonde walked back into the living room._

 

“Can everyone please give us some space?” Charity muttered, prompting the Dingles to scamper away. Her palms were sweating, her heart racing. She had been bricking this moment for a while now. She would sometimes lay awake at night going over what to say, trying to find the right words to explain a part of her messed up past to her teenage son, but as she stood in front of him now, there was no words and no explanations.

 

“So, when were you gonna tell me? Or were you even gonna?” He spoke up after a few moments of agonising silence. He had that look in his eye, the same one his Father had, the same one that Joe had that day in the police station. Noah was her good boy, he wasn’t like the Tate’s, Charity had made sure of that.

 

“It’s complicated babe, it was all for your own good I swear.” The blonde spoke with caution as she approached the obviously angry boy. “Joe Tate isn’t a good man. He’s mean, and spiteful and just not a nice person!” She exclaimed as she sat beside her son, prompting the teen to shoot up out of the seat.

 

“He’s my brother. I thought we were always supposed to stand by our family.” Noah snapped his cheeks burning with fury.

 

“Okay for starters he’s your half-brother, and Joe Tate is not your family.” Charity shot back already getting fed up with his attitude.

 

“He’s as much my family as Debbie and Moses. They’re my half siblings.” He snarled, the Dingle venom laced in the voice.

 

“You’re right...you’re right.” The blonde raised her hands up in surrender, not wanting to make the already tense situation any worse. “Look, babes, the reason I didn’t tell you about him is because his family…your Dad’s family. They’ve been hell-bent on taking me down for years.” She spoke softly, as beckoned for Noah to take a seat beside her.

 

“What did you do that was so bad?” Noah asked slightly calmer than before.

 

“Remember I told you about how your Dad had died?” Charity smiled softly, flashes of that particular conversation invading her mind.

 

“Yeah...ya said he was really sick.” He frowned, his eyes watering slightly. She hated seeing her son like this, hated that for years she had caused him so much pain and distress.

 

“And he was babe, very sick.” She nodded while trying to swallow the lump of worry in her throat. “He was so sick in the end that he wanted to take his own life, and he wanted to frame me for his death.”

 

“Why would he do that? Didn’t you love each other?” Noah stood abruptly, not wanting to be near the blonde again.

 

“Not in the end babes.” Charity shook her head, trying to hide how hurt his sudden movements had made her. “In the end, all he cared about was making sure that I ended up with nothing.” She tried to explain in as little detail as possible. Noah had this image of his Father, and while she hated him with all her might, she didn’t want to completely demolish that.

 

“And now Joe wants to do the same?”

 

“Yeah, babes...and what’s worse is that he’s trying to bring everyone down with me.” The blonde exclaimed, thinking that she had finally made a breakthrough with the teenager.

 

“Can I meet him? Maybe if we got to know each other he’d stop.” Noah smiled hopefully, while gently scuffing his shoes on the carpet.

 

“Noah, he almost killed you last night!” Charity’s face dropped, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Couldn’t believe that Noah wanted anything to do with that asshole after everything he’s done.

 

“We don’t know that it was him!” He snapped.

 

“Are you seriously taking his side babe?” She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the anger that was bubbling up her throat. “That man looks at me like I’m a piece of meat, he thinks he can pick people up and play with them until he gets tired! I won’t let that happen to you!” She stood, praying that Noah would listen to her for once, and stay well away from Joe Tate.

 

“I’m thirteen, I can make my own mind up about Joe!” Noah stood his ground, not about to waver. Joe was his last link to his Dad, and he wasn’t about to lose out on that.

 

“No, you can’t!” Charity finally snapped, and screamed at the teen with all her might, before she quickly clamped her hand over mouth. She hated exploding like this, especially with her children. But she needed Noah to get it into his head that he wasn’t going to having a nice little family reunion with Joe any time soon.

 

“I hate you sometimes!” He spat, before storming off.

 

“I’m doing this for your own good babe!” She quickly ran after her son, but she knew she was too late when the deafening sound of his door slamming crashed down the stairs.

 

Charity slumped against the wall at the bottom of the staircase, and let herself slowly be lowered onto the last step. It had gone a whole lot worse than she’d anticipated, she thought that she’d be hit with uncomfortable questions and the occasional scowl. But all the hard work she’d put into rebuilding her relationship with her son was quickly washed away, and all because of Joe freakin’ Tate. She wanted to hurt him, really physically destroy him. She knew she couldn’t though. As much as Vanessa seemed to have her back, she knew that the newbie Detective couldn’t get her out of an assault or worse, a murder charge.

 

Charity sat in silence for a few unbearable minutes. She didn’t know what to do next, whether to go and check on Noah or let him cool off on his own. She needed to vent, to just talk to someone. Someone who didn’t think she was the devil in carnet. She wanted an easy, light chat that would take her mind off the shit-storm that had just gone down. She wanted Vanessa.

 

“Woodfield.” Vanessa’s cheery voice felt like an arrow to her heart as the blonde answered the phone almost immediately.

 

“Interesting way to answer the phone.” Charity couldn’t contain the smirk that was creeping onto her face. “I think DI Sunshine would be so much better.”

 

“Charity, sorry I thought it was the station calling.” The barmaid could practically hear the eye roll that she imagined those perfect blue eyes performing. “Is everything okay?” She asked sweetly, lowering her voice slightly.

 

“Yeah...no. I just had the worst chat with Noah.” Charity sighed as she combed her hand through her hair. “I’m just checking that...umm, well-”

 

“I’ll be in for a drink later if that’s what you’re wondering.” Vanessa quickly interrupted, making the blonde barmaid’s heart skip a beat slightly. She didn’t know how the DI had managed to possess this hold on her already, but she didn’t seem to mind. While she didn’t know much about Vanessa, a part of her trusted that she wasn’t out to hurt her.

 

“I wasn’t...I just, I wanted to see you again.” The blonde quickly tried to brush off how needy she knew she was sounding. This was her, she didn’t pine after anyone. Until now, because Vanessa Woodfield was all she could think of.

 

“Good, because I want to see you again too...only this time I’d rather not have most of your family trying to murder me with their minds.” Vanessa chuckled lightheartedly. A part of her was slightly jealous of what Charity had. For most of Vanessa’s life, it had just been her, and her Mum and she had been so lonely. Sure she had her Dad and Tracy now, but she knew that it would never come close to the Dingle’s view on family.

 

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Charity smiled shyly, eternally thankful that no one was around to witness how sickeningly smitten she looked. “Dingles and coppers don’t really mix.” She sighed, thinking of the uncomfortable conversations that were to come if things worked out between them. So far she had gotten good reactions from Chas and Debbie, but they were the two Dingles that she was closest too, she didn’t even want to think about how the rest would react.

 

“But we do?” The DI’s voice was shaky and full of vulnerability, Charity could easily hear that.

 

“Maybe we should find out.” Charity replied smoothly, trying to hold back her schoolgirl giggles.

 

“Tracy is staying at mine tonight, so I can get over after I put Johnny to bed.” Vanessa chirped happily, thankful that she had left Matthew’s in the car while she grabbed a quick coffee.

 

“I look forward to it.” The barmaid swooned, her head reeling. Normally she hated cheesy phone calls and preferred sharp text messages, that got to the point straight away, but there was something about talking to Vanessa that felt right. She could imagine the bright smile and the eye rolls. She could imagine herself right in front of the blonde as they spoke, watching as the smaller woman tried to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

 

“I should probably get back to work, my partner is throwing me some questionable looks from the car.” The DI regrettably muttered as Matthew’s honked the horn, and waved her back.

 

“Yeah, sorry for keeping you.” Charity quickly apologised, forgetting that unlike most of her ex’s, Vanessa had a somewhat normal job, that actually needed her attention.

 

“You didn’t.” Vanessa softly reassured the panicking blonde. “See you in a bit?” She whispered sweetly, the bright smile shining through her words.

 

“Bye DI Sunshine.” Charity bit her lip as the line went dead. It may have been a tad on the short side for her liking, but it was just what she needed. It didn’t stop her mind from wandering back to Noah though. She wished that she had of just been honest with him from the start, that she could actually do something right for a change.

 

“Well, that was a sickeningly sweet conversation, Mother.” Debbie’s voice caused the barmaid to let out an uncharacteristic yelp.

 

“Jesus Debs! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Charity exclaimed as she rested her hand on her racing heart.

 

“Be thankful that it was me and not my Dad!” The brunette scolded as her Mum pushed past her and stormed into the living room. “So, when were you going to tell me that you and Vanessa made up?” She asked while swiftly following the blonde.

 

“Well, between Noah almost dying, Zak and Lisa losing their house and your boneheaded brother declaring that he’s on team Joe, I haven’t really had a chance.” The blonde spat out, before pinching the bridge of her nose trying to fight off an oncoming headache.

 

“Team Joe?” Debbie snorted, as she plonked herself down next to her Mum. She had a feeling that she’d be in a mood that could kill, dealing with a teenage boy was difficult, so she wouldn’t hold her Mum’s mood against her.

 

“Yeah, he wants to get to know his big brother.” Charity dragged out childishly.

 

“Leave Noah to me.” The brunette shook her head in amusement, as she gently rested her hand on Charity’s thigh. She could tell that despite the shit-storm that had gone on in the last twenty-four hours, her Mother was still like an excited schoolgirl about Vanessa. “What time is she coming over at?” She smiled knowingly, a hint of teasing in her voice.

 

“Never really gave me a time. Just said she’d be over after she put Johnny to bed.” The blonde shrugged, trying to suppress the gigantic smile from creeping onto her lips.

 

“Aww, you already know her son’s name. How cute!” Debbie nudged playfully, earning a scowl from her frustrated Mum.

 

“I don’t know why I’m even talking to you about this! The last time I filled you in on my little…” Charity muttered the remaining sentence under her breath as she stood in annoyance and quickly made her way to the small table to clean up the mess left behind from breakfast.

 

“Crush?” The brunette chirped as she watched her clean.

 

“Yes, that!” The barmaid exclaimed, before leaning heavily against the counter. “The last time I told you, you and her out there almost made me ruin everything!”

 

“I promise that there will be no teasing or interference again!” Debbie slowly made her way over to the blonde, mimicking her actions as she stood facing her.

 

“We talked last night in the hospital. Cleared the air completely, and it felt really good Debs.” Charity admitted, a faint blush dancing across her cheeks and neck.

 

“I’ve never seen you like this before.” The younger woman smiled softly. She didn’t think that she’d ever see this look on her Mother’s face “It’s a good look on you.”

 

“I don’t want to mess this up, babe.”

 

“Then don’t! If you go in thinking that it’s gonna crash and burn, then it will.” Debbie exclaimed while gently slapping the blonde's arm. “Vanessa, for some unknown reason, is interested in you. She wants you!”

 

“I think an outfit upgrade is in order for tonight.” Charity bit her lip, as her eyes sparkled with pure excitement. There was nothing else she could do for Zak and Lisa, and Noah would most likely stew in his room until the morning anyway, so tonight was the night. She was officially going to try and get the ball rolling with Vanessa.

 

“Definitely. Let’s knock her dead Mother.” Debbie winked, determined to make sure that tonight went perfectly.


	14. Chapter 14

Vanessa’s day had been a complete bust. She still hasn’t taken Samson and Noah’s statements, she had little to no real interactions with Charity and her conversation with Joe Tate had gone horribly. He was his usual prickly self and brushed off the Dingles claims like they were nothing but village gossip. She knew that he was bound to have something to do with Dingles house being knocked down, but without proof, there was nothing she could do. All the paperwork had been completed - minus the two statements from the boys - so now she had to play the waiting game. She would try Noah and Samson tomorrow and hope that there wasn’t another Dingle family crisis playing out when she got there.

 

“So, what are your plans for tonight then?” Matthew’s muttered as Vanessa let out another shaky sigh, completely bored out of her mind.

 

“I am spending some well needed time with my son and then I’m just going down to the pub for a drink.” She answered almost immediately, praying that usual Charity induced blush would stay well away while she was at work. “Unless my lovely partner says otherwise.” She snapped slightly as she threw him an unamused smirk.

 

“I promise you’ll not hear a whisper from me.” He zipped his mouth shut, before letting out a deep chuckle.

 

“Good! You doing anything exciting?” Vanessa softened, deciding that a dumbfounded conversation with her partner was better than nothing.

 

“Date with the wife. Bringing her to that new poss joint in Hotten.” Matthew’s shrugged, his wallet burning a hole in his pocket at the thought of how much a salad was going to cost.

 

“Never pegged you as the romantic type.” The blonde snorted, she had been surprised he had a wife in the first place.

 

“It’s the rewards I’m interested in, not the romance.” He shot her a wicked wink, making her skin crawl.

 

“And there it is.” She muttered under her breath while picking at the chipped nail polish that Johnny had applied over a week ago.

 

“You saying you won’t be on the lookout tonight?” Matthew’s laughed, talking a bit too loudly for Vanessa’s liking. She hadn’t really gotten the chance to get to know her co-workers that well yet, so she really didn’t appreciate her partner shouting her business around the squad room.

 

Vanessa stood abruptly and walked the short distance to his desk. “Maybe, but I won’t have to look too far.” She muttered as she sat on the spare chair.

 

“Ahh, you’ve got a little lady in mind? Or fella, of course.” He asked a little quieter than before, taking her actions as a request for a little privacy.

 

“Let me just make it clear, this isn’t going to become a usual thing for us.” She warned, receiving a sharp nod from the older man. “I’m only talking about this because I’m so bored.”

 

“Understood newbie.”

 

“There is someone that I’m planning on seeing tonight.” Vanessa started, a shy smile playing on her lips, but not quite breaking through. “She owns the pub actually.”

 

“Nice one, you bed her good and you’ll get free drinks guaranteed.” Matthew’s gently slapped her hand as he howled with laughter.

 

“How are you married?” She asked in shock, earning a simple shrug from the older man in response. “I’m not in it for the free drinks” She added, wanting to make it clear to him and anyone who may have been listening that she’s not that kind of person.

 

“Ahh, you actually like this bird?” He asked softly, taking the hint that this was turning into more than a time-wasting conversation with his partner.

 

“Yes, I do. So please refrain from interrupting my evening, whatsoever.” Vanessa warned with a playful smirk on her lips, while Matthew’s placed his hand on his heart and nodded.

 

“Woodfield!” The Chief Inspector spoke forcefully as he walked into the squad room, making Vanessa practically jump out of the chair. “What the hell were you thinking! Joseph Tate is out of bounds and you know it!” He hissed while storming over to the terrified blonde. Vanessa had known that there might have been some kind of aftermath from her unscheduled visit, but she wasn’t expecting it to be this public.

 

“I know Sir, but I acted on the information I was given this morning,” Vanessa spoke respectfully, trying to hide the fear creeping up on her.

 

“During your unofficial meeting with the Dingles.” He snarled, rolling his eyes at the thought of that dreadful family. “When you didn’t even get the statements that you were sent there to take!” He added, his cheeks red with anger.

 

“There was a family emergency.” The blonde quickly interjected, trying her best to ignore the amused glances being thrown her way.

 

“There’s always something with that family!” He muttered under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to soothe his raging headache. “Did I make a mistake by putting you on this case Woodfield?”

 

“No Sir,” Vanessa answered through gritted teeth, she had plenty that she wished to say truthfully to her boss, but she would never even dare try.

 

“Good. Now stay away from Tate, or it will be more than just me you’ll have to deal with.” The Chief Inspector warned before storming back into his office. Vanessa stood frozen in place, this kind of thing had never happened to her before. She always followed the rules and waited for orders instead of going ahead and doing her own thing.

 

“You alright partner?” Matthew’s muttered as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

Vanessa let out an audible groan, before looking down at her watch. “Shifts over.” She mumbled before grabbing her stuff and heading home, not another word or look sent his way.

 

***

 

Vanessa was physically and emotionally drained by the time she pulled up outside her house. The only thing keeping her from breaking down and shutting herself away from life and work was the thoughts of spending some quality time with her little man tonight. He had been so excited when she promised him that she’d be home for dinner and had already listed off a load of things they had to do before bedtime.

 

“Mummy! You’re home!” Johnny screamed as soon as the tried blonde stepped foot inside the house. In a flash, the small blonde came running over and forcefully wrapped his small arms around her legs.

 

“Hello, my little darling.” Vanessa plastered a bright smile on her face as she bent down to scoop the little boy into her arms. “Have you been a good boy for Auntie Tracy?” She asked before littering his face with kisses, taking great delight in the little squeal he let out in the process.

 

“Of course he has. My nephew is an angel.” Tracy smiled as she walked out of the kitchen with two glasses of wine.

 

“Mummy play?” Johnny asked as Vanessa sat him down and gladly took the glass from Tracy.

 

“Why don’t you get set up, while I put on some yummy dinner for us!” Vanessa suggested before taking a large gulp of her drink, she really needed it after her horrid day.

 

“Fish fingers?” His eyes twinkled with excitement as he clapped his chubby hands together.

 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” She winked as she ruffled his hair before he set off to set up his new train set.

 

“You okay?” Tracy whispered as she followed her sister into the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, just been one of those days,” Vanessa whined while she busied herself with dinner preparations.

 

“You still dealing with the Dingle case? Were they giving you the runaround?” The taller blonde asked as she got the fish fingers out of the freezer.

 

“No, they were actually the better part of my day.” The DI muttered with a loud sigh. “The Chief Inspector gave me a pretty stern talking too in front of the whole department.” She admitted as Tracy handed the frozen fish over.

 

“What did you do to earn that?” Tracy asked concerningly, in all the time she’d known her sister she had never heard of anything like that happening at work.

 

“Talked to Joe Tate.” She replied bluntly as she popped the tray into the oven, and joined her sister at the table. “He’s hell-bent on destroying Charity and her family.”

 

“And you want to make sure that she’s taken care of?” The shopkeeper teased as Vanessa downed her wine. “You’ve got it bad for someone who doesn’t want you.” She added with a look of anger falling over her.

 

“Well...we actually talked yesterday,” Vanessa admitted before squeezing her eyes shut, ready to be hit with the onset of protests from her sister.

 

“Before or after you got put on the Dingle case?” She asked in disbelief.

 

“After…we talked at the hospital.”

 

“V! Why didn’t you tell me!” Tracy exclaimed happily, catching Vanessa off guard completely.

 

“Because I was so tired last night that I could hardly keep my eyes open when I got home.” Vanessa shot back, remembering how zombified she felt last night after the hospital.

 

“Fair point.” The blonde shrugged before practically lounging at her sister. “So, how did this little talk of yours go?” She winked readying herself for all the sordid details.

 

“Pretty great actually. We got everything out in the open, and it felt amazing.” The DI muttered dreamily, she had come so close to kissing the blonde last night and since then it was hard to think of anything else.

 

“You are so smitten!” Tracy gasped playfully, as the pale blonde turned a deep shade of pink.

 

“Am not!” Vanessa protested, but the goofy grin on her face was telling a completely different story.

 

“When are you seeing her again?” She asked, excited for her sister.

 

“That’s actually what I need to talk to you about.” Vanessa sent a small smile her sister’s way. “Can you watch Johnny for a bit after he goes to bed? I promised her a drink tonight, it’s been a pretty tough day for both of us.” She begged, hoping and praying that Tracy would agree.

 

“Of course I can watch him! It’s better than going home to a cold, empty bed.” She rolled her eyes, a small frown planted on her pink lips.

 

“Chin up, David will be back before you know it!” Vanessa reached out and rested her hand gently on her sister’s.

 

“Enough moping! We’ve got an outfit to plan!” Tracy shook her head before clapping her hands together excitedly.

 

“Nothing too drastic Trace. I don’t want to scare her off before we’ve even kissed.” The DI warned, afraid of how she would look after Tracy was finished with her.

 

“I’m going to pick you out an outfit that’s gonna knock the socks...and knickers, off of Charity Dingle!” Tracy winked before running upstairs to hunt through her sister’s wardrobe, determined to make this a night her sister would never forget.

 

Tracy had a field day picking an outfit out for Vanessa. She definitely played to her sister’s strengths and picked a top that showed off the girl’s perfectly and jeans that hung to her every curve, while also remaining respectable as per the DI’s request. So while Johnny sat down to his dinner, Vanessa got dolled up. She was so excited to be seeing Charity again, it would definitely be the great end to her horrible day.

 

“How do I look buddy?” Vanessa asked as she strutted downstairs, her messy work hair styled and makeup redid.

 

“Pretty!” Johnny muttered before turning his attention back to the TV, as he picked at his untouched dinner.

 

“Quite the charmer you’re raising sis!” Tracy smiled as she gently pats his head and walked over to meet her sister at the bottom of the stairs.

 

“You sure it’s not too much?” She asked while examining her makeup and hair in the small mirror. She didn’t want Charity to think that she was trying too hard, but at the same time, she didn’t want to look like a mess.

 

“You look gorgeous sis!” The taller woman promised as she pulled her in for a one-armed hug.

 

“Mummy, hurty.” The little boy whined while he held his stomach in pain. Vanessa quickly rushed to her son’s side and quickly examined him for any signs of injuries.

 

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Vanessa asked softly as tears began to stream down Johnny’s face.

 

“My tummy, it’s hunting.” Johnny cried as he latched himself onto his Mother’s neck.

 

“Oh Johnny, it’s alright sweetheart.” She cooed as she rubbed his back gently, and checked his temperature with the back of her hand. “Let’s get you to bed honey.” She whispered, his high temperature worrying her.

 

On the way up the stairs, the pair had to quickly rush to the bathroom as his lunch came right back up. Half an hour was spent being sick and crying in his Mother’s arms before Vanessa carefully carried him into his room and changed him into his Paw Patrol jammies.

 

“You stay Mummy?” Johnny asked as he was tucked into bed, with his favourite stuffed dinosaur placed carefully beside him.

 

“Of course sweetheart, Mummy isn’t going anywhere.” She promised as she placed a small kiss on his warm forehead. “I just need to get changed and make a quick phone call, okay?” She smiled softly, before quickly walking out of the room with her phone in hand.

 

“Calling Charity?” Tracy whispered as she met the blonde on the landing.

 

“I can’t leave him like this.” She muttered quickly, as her fingers hovered over Charity’s number. “She’s a Mother, she’ll understand.” She nodded as she pressed the call button.

 

***

 

Charity was putting the finishing touches to her makeup when Debbie came waddling in, mumbling like an idiot and looking like a nervous wreck.

 

 

“You look nervous, are you nervous?” She muttered as she gently sat on her Mother’s bed.

 

“I’m not, but you sure are.” Charity snorted as she fluffed her hair out. “Calm down babes.” She smiled softly as she moved to sit beside her daughter.

 

“I just want this to go well for you.” She laughed nervously, still feeling quite guilty for what had happened in the pub and almost cost her this chance. “More cleavage,” She smirked as she pulled on the zip, revealing an eye full of her cleavage.

 

“Babe, do you want Jimmy to have a heart attack while I’m pulling his pint?” Charity smirked as she zipped the top back up, as much as she wanted to impress Vanessa, she wasn’t looking forward to half the village ogling her.

 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Debbie shrugged, already imagining how her night would play out with that much on display. “You look great.” She smiled softly, trying to be as supportive as she possibly could for a change.

 

“Always do babe.” She shot her a cheeky wink before her phone jumped to life on the bedside cabinet. “Oh, that’s her now.” Charity smiled shyly as Vanessa’s name flashed across her screen.

 

“Well, answer it then!” The brunette rolled her eyes as she chucked a pillow at the suddenly nervous woman.

 

Charity shot her a scowl before taking a deep breath and answering the phone. “Hey,” She spoke softly, unable to form any other words.

 

“Charity, I’m really sorry...but I’m gonna have to cancel tonight.” Vanessa’s voice was soft and full of sadness as she spoke, which only worried Charity more than anything.

 

“Oh, is everything alright?” She asked quickly, panic laced in her voice. Her mind immediately went to the worst possible places, and she imagined the blonde in horrible situations.

 

“It’s Johnny. He has a tummy bug, and I just don’t feel right leaving him. You understand, right?” She muttered, calming Charity’s nerves when she found out that the blonde was okay.

 

“Course. Hope the little man feels better soon.” Charity let out a small sigh, trying to hide the disappointment from her voice. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy course through her. She had been looking forward to seeing blonde all day, and while she understood that she needed to be there for her son, she still felt upset.

 

“Thanks, I should probably get back to him. He’s already picked out a mountain of fairy tales for me to read.” Vanessa laughed gently, as she looked back at Johnny’s door, knowing that the little boy would be waiting rather impatiently for her return.

 

“Have fun, and we’ll get that drink another time, yeah?” She asked, trying to remain as hopeful as possible.

 

“Definitely.” The smile could practically be heard in her voice. “Bye Charity…”

 

“See ya DI Sunshine.” Charity smiled sadly to herself, keeping the phone to her ear until the line went dead.

 

“What’s wrong?” Debbie quickly stood and reached out to touch her Mother.

 

“Her kids sick, so looks like our drink will have to wait for another night.” Charity shrugged, building the walls back up once again as she threw her phone onto the bed.

 

“Not necessarily.” She muttered, her eyes twinkling with trouble.

 

“What are you getting at babes?” The blonde huffed out as she flopped onto the bed defeatedly.

 

“You take this,” Debbie quickly rushed over to her purse to pull out the fancy bottle of wine she had been planning to drink while watching the kids. “And go over to hers. I’m sure she’d appreciate a little company while her kid is sleeping.” She practically shoved the bottle into her Mum’s hands.

 

“What about my shift? If I miss another one, Chas is going to be riding my ass all week.” Charity muttered, weighing the pros and cons of the night.

 

“I’ll cover for you.” The brunette rolled her eyes, as she fixed her Mother’s hair slightly. “You were really looking forward to this, and I’m sure Vanessa was as well!” She pointed out forcefully.

 

“I don’t know Debs.” The barmaid whined as Debbie handed her a jacket and her purse.

 

“What’s the worst that can happen?” Debbie snapped playfully as she began to push her Mother out of the bedroom and towards the stairs. “She turns you away at the door? At least she’ll know that you care enough to check in on her.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Charity suddenly perked up, as she threw her jacket on, her usual Dingle confidence back.

 

“Go! And let me worry about things here.” The brunette ordered as they quickly ran down the stairs.

 

“Thanks, babe, I really appreciate this.” The blonde hugged her daughter tightly before giving herself a last once-over.

 

“Hey, at least one of us deserves to be happy,” Debbie muttered under her breath as she walked the blonde to the front door.

 

“You will find someone babe. Someone who is ten times the man Joe Tate pretended to be.” Charity nodded supportively, before walking out into the cold night. Her whole body was buzzing with excitement but also plagued with nervousness. She had no idea how Vanessa was going to react to her showing up on her doorstep, but she knew that this was the right decision for her to make...no matter how terrified she was.


	15. Chapter 15

 Charity was bricking it the entire way to Vanessa’s house. This was a ballsy move, one that she has been known to run from. It was desperate and clingy, and so not her. She was brass and determined, not needy. But there was something about Vanessa Woodfield that had captivated her in such a short time. She’s never had that, not with anyone. Vanessa knew so much already and it didn’t seem to falter her, she didn’t turn her nose up at her or back away. She was still interested and it only made Charity want her more. The chemistry was there, it was sizzling off every touch and laced in every word. She had come so close in the hospital, so close to being able to taste Vanessa, to feel her body against hers. She needed that, she craved that and it was that need that had her strutting out the door, dressed to the nines with her cocky attitude turned up to the max.

 

The small cottage was silent, a faint light flickered through the drawn curtains and a shadow passed by downstairs. Charity’s heart raced. This was Vanessa’s house, her own space and she was about to invade it. Her skin burned with anticipation, and her head reeled with nerves. She was facing off against the door, trying to talk herself into knocking. She had two choices, she could knock and see the blonde, or run away like always. She wavered, running would be the easier option and for a split second she had seriously considered it, but her feet stopped her. She was frozen in place and left with no choice but to knock weakly.

 

***

 

Tracy busied herself downstairs while Vanessa sat with Johnny. She felt sorry for the two blondes, poor Johnny was looking forward to a night filled with playing and fun but instead, he was being sick and in pain. Then there was Vanessa, Tracy knew very little about her last relationship, only that it was a toxic one that she was glad Vanessa had gotten out of quickly. She wanted her sister to be happy, and while she may have acted like a hot-headed child when it came to Charity lately, she was still excited for them to finally be taking this step. Apart from her slip up at the pub, the barmaid had surprised Tracy completely. There were no games, no mocking. It just seemed like she wanted real for once, and she was taking a risk by going after it. The feud between the Dingles and Hotten Police was a well known one. The Dingles always seemed to have their hand in something dodgy, Charity primarily. That’s what really worried the shopkeeper at the start. She feared that the only reason Charity was trying to get close was to get a one-up and have a man on the inside. But from what Vanessa had told her about the recent run-ins with the police, Charity hadn’t tried once to get off. She had shown nothing but respect for Vanessa and her job, and it didn’t seem to be an issue for her. Charity wasn’t after the benefits that came with the badge, she just wanted to know the woman behind it.

 

The soft knocking on the door startled the blonde shopkeeper, she knew that Rhona was on call tonight and her Dad and Megan were going on a date, so they shouldn’t have been expecting any company. Tracy was gobsmacked when she opened the door to find Charity Dingle pacing nervously with a bottle of wine in hand.

 

“Charity…” She muttered as their eyes met. Immediately Tracy saw panic begin to rise in the blonde woman.

 

“I...I was just coming over to…” The barmaid stuttered, completely taken aback. She had this whole speech planned out for when Vanessa opened the door, but she was never expecting Tracy to be the one to open the door.

 

“To see my sister?” The shopkeeper smiled amusingly, trying to stop a squeal from coming out. It was like a scene from a romantic comedy when the badass woman finally came to her senses and rushed over to profess her love. “Come in,” She added radiantly, Charity silently obeying still in shock from Tracy’s unexpected appearance.

 

“I thought that she could use some company, I know what’s like when you're taking care of a sick kid.” Charity smiled shyly as she stepped into the small home. She had been here many times before, back when it was Debbie’s place. But standing in it now, it felt like a completely different house. Children’s toys were scattered around the living room, a multicoloured armchair sat in the corner it was absolutely atrocious, but it suited the place, along with the bright yellow walls that fitted perfectly with Vanessa’s shining personality.

 

“How nice, take a seat and I’ll fetch her.” Tracy smiled wittily, taking great pleasure in making the blonde as uncomfortable as possible.

 

“No, she’s with her son and I don’t want to intrude.” The taller blonde smirked back, as her grip on the bottle tightened, reminding her of its cold presence in her hand. “I’ll just leave this here, you two enjoy.” She smiled sadly as she sat the bottle on the small coffee table and quickly moved to exit the cottage.

 

“Wait, Charity.” The shopkeeper quickly moved to block her in, a look of regret on her face, knowing that her teasing ran the risk of ruining things. “Vanessa will be so delighted that you’re here.” She pleaded sincerely, not wanting to muck things up between them again. She had seen how excited Vanessa had been all night, and how disappointed she was as she made that phone call.              Tracy knew that she would be absolutely flabbergasted to find Charity sitting downstairs waiting for her with a glass of cold, expensive wine.

 

“She will…” The barmaid muttered to herself, a dopey smile creeping its way onto her pink lips before she quickly shook the thoughts and feelings away. “I mean...it’s best if I just leave you two to it. Enjoy the wine.” She gently tried I push past the determined blonde, only giving up once the sound of soft footsteps reached her ears.

 

“Trace, who are you...Charity?” Vanessa froze as she caught sight of the tall blonde barmaid. Her heart was racing as she took in the blonde woman, she looked flawless as always, but Vanessa could tell that some extra effort had been taken.

 

“She just came over to check in on you, and bring you this.” Tracy quickly moved to pluck the bottle of wine off the table and shoved it into Charity’s hand forcefully.

 

“And now I should be heading. You’ve got company,” Charity hissed at the shopkeeper, as she tried not to laugh at the complete adorableness of Vanessa in her pyjamas and fluffy slippers.

 

“No, she doesn’t. I was just about to head out.” The blonde argued back, as she moved across the room to grab her coat.

 

“You were?” Vanessa muttered as Tracy shot her a perceptive glance, telling her to play along. “Oh, yes. She was...I've just got Johnny down. Stay for a drink?” The DI smiled softly at Charity, who looked extremely uncomfortable by the doorway.

 

“I think I could use a drink.” Charity smiled back, ignoring the goofy grin on Tracy’s face as she gathered her things.

 

“And that’s my cue. I’ll call you tomorrow.” The shopkeeper shouted over her shoulder as she trotted out of the house, buzzing with excitement for her sister and already dying for all the details she’d receive the next day.

 

The pair stood quietly, sending awkward glances back and forth. Vanessa couldn’t believe that Charity had come over, it definitely went against everything she had heard about her, and the DI was glad about that. It seemed like no one ever had a nice word to say about the blonde, but now she was here. Defying all the snide remarks and hushed rumours. She was showing Vanessa that some part of her cared, and wanted this to work.

 

“So, how’s your kid?” Charity coughed awkwardly, her eyes glued to Vanessa’s beautiful blue ones. Charity tried to suppress an eye roll as she kicking herself mentally for how lame she sounded, she had so many things she wanted to say to Vanessa, but every time she had her chance, her stupid nerves got in the way.

 

“Fast asleep, the poor thing.” Vanessa smiled kindly as she moved from her place at the bottom of the staircase, and headed slowly in Charity’s direction.

 

“Think there’s a bug goin’ around nursery or something. Moses was the same way a few weeks ago.” The barmaid nodded sympathetically, gulping as Vanessa approached her.

 

“Wanna take a seat while I pour us a drink?” The DI asked quietly as she pried the bottle from her hands, a shy smile playing on her lips.

 

“That sounds great thanks.” Charity reddened slightly as she quickly moved to take a seat on the small sofa. “How was work?” She asked as she watched the blonde move around the kitchen with ease, grabbing two glasses and filling them almost to the brim.

 

“Ugh, next question.” Vanessa rolled her eyes as she walked back over to the blushing blonde. Today had been a shit storm from start to almost finished, but having Charity Dingle sitting in her living room was definitely a great end to the day.

 

“That bad huh?” She chuckled slightly as Vanessa passed the glass of wine over to her, their fingers brushing tighter momentarily.

 

“Worse.”

 

“How did it go with Sir Douchebag?” Charity asked as she took a small sip of the delicious wine, confirming her long-running theory that Debbie definitely had great taste in alcohol.

 

“As expected I suppose. Chief wasn’t too thrilled about me questioning him though,” Vanessa explained with a pained expression plastered on her usual cheery face.

 

“Sorry, I know you only went up there because of my ones.” Charity couldn’t help but feel sorry for the blonde, while also the slightest bit guilty. It had been her family that had pressured her into talking to Joe, and now she was in trouble.

 

“I went up there because I believe that he’s connected, hearing what your family had to say, only gave me the final push.” The DI shook her head light-heartedly while reaching out to gently touch Charity’s free hand.

 

“Guess you know about my connection to him then?” The blonde lowered her gaze, ashamed of her past deeply. Even though she knew that Vanessa had a greater knowledge than most, she still wanted to keep her past buried for as long as possible.

 

“I do…but I’d rather hear it from you if that’s alright.” Vanessa smiled reassuringly as her gentle touch turned into a reassuring squeeze.

 

“I’d like that, but maybe not tonight.” Charity turned in her seat and placed the glass onto the table. “Thinking and talking about the past isn’t my idea of a romantic night in.” She smiled bashfully, finally feeling a bit comfortable in the small home.

 

“Oh, so you were going for romance then Miss Dingle?” The DI teased playfully as she mimicked Charity’s actions, only her glass was nearly drained at this point

 

“I was trying, but the fluffy slippers are kinda putting a downer on the romance level.” She teased right back, painfully reminding Vanessa that she was dressed in her pyjamas and not the stunning outfit Tracy had planned for her.

 

“Oi! I’ll have you know that I had quite the outfit on before Johnny got sick.” Vanessa gently smacked the blondes leg, her pale cheeks bright red in embarrassment.

 

“Dressing up for me, are ya DI Sunshine?” Charity smiled brightly, her mind running wild with all sorts of images of Vanessa in gorgeous outfits.

 

“Look who’s talking.” She replied softly, gesturing to the flawless outfit Charity was sporting.

 

“This is what I always wear when I’m going to work.” The barmaid shrugged off the compliment, while deep down her stomach was doing summersaults.

 

“Speaking of work, aren’t you supposed to be there now?” Vanessa frowned curiously, swearing blind that Charity had said she was working.

 

“I am, but then I thought that I’d rather be here keeping you company instead.” Charity winked playfully, as she tangled her fingers with the blondes.

 

“How thoughtful, never pegged you as that show up on a doorstep kind of girl.” The smaller blonde giggled like a young schoolgirl, completely infatuated with the barmaid beside her.

 

“Yeah well…I’m not usually.” The barmaid ducked her head to hide the hint of blush on her cheeks, not used to the unusually sappy mood she was in. “Maybe I just really wanted to see you tonight, and pick up where we left off at the hospital.” She purred as she slowly traced her eyes over Vanessa’s body, while her pyjamas might not be the sexiest thing Charity had ever seen, there was no denying how attracted she was to the DI at this moment.

 

“Is that so? That’s quite forward of you Miss Dingle.” Vanessa rolled her eyes playfully as she leaned forward, her hot breath sending shivers through the blonde.

 

“What can I say…” Charity took the bait and gently reached out to cup her face, rubbing her finger softly across her pink cheek.  “When I see something I want.” She whispered seductively, their faces millimetres apart. “I go for it.” The last part was hardly heard as their lips finally met, bursting with ultimate delight and pleasure. All the flirty comments and fleeting touches had led them here, and it was definitely worth the wait. Their lips moved together with ease, like an already well-tuned dance, it was soft and sweet, nothing like Charity had ever experienced before. Gently, Vanessa snaked her arms around Charity’s neck, deepening the kiss happily, as their tongues fought playfully for control. Charity bit down on Vanessa’s lips gently, as the blonde let out a small moan of pleasure, as the taller woman pulled Vanessa deeper into her arms.

 

“Mummy...” Johnny’s voice cut through their embrace, making Vanessa forcefully jump out of Charity’s arms.

 

“Is everything okay sweetheart.” Vanessa wiped her lips regrettably, as she rounded the sofa to meet the small boy at the bottom of the staircase. Johnny rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand while clutching his stuffed dinosaur tightly.

 

“I had a bad dream…” He muttered while raising his arms from Vanessa to lift him. Once he was settled on his Mum’s hip, he eyed the silent blonde who was red-faced from her kiss with Vanessa. “Who are you?” The little boy questioned as he pointed his dinosaur her way.

 

“This is my friend Charity…say hello Johnny.” The smaller blonde smiled shyly at her curious son, prompting Charity to finally snapped out of her post-kiss trance and send the little boy a small wave.

 

“Hi…did you have a bad dream too?” Johnny questioned, unsure of why the stranger was here so late in the night and why she was getting a ‘get better kiss’ from his Mummy.

 

“Something like that little man, but your Mummy made it all better.” Charity spoke up, smiling awkwardly at the child. She had seen him from afar that day in the pub, but this was their first real interaction and she was terrified. Charity would be the first to admit that she wasn’t great around children, even her own. So, seeing Vanessa’s little boy smiling over at her with ease scared the crap out of her. She didn’t know what she wanted with Vanessa, she knew that there were feelings involved, but whether they were ones of lust or something more was unknown to Charity and she didn’t want to confuse things with any of their kids just yet.

 

“She made my tummy better, and my head,” Johnny muttered as he patted the mentioned body parts.

 

“Really? She quite the little superhero isn’t she?” The blonde asked in mock surprise, completely awestruck by the cuteness of the little blonde boy.

 

“Yeah! Super Mummy!” He cheered as he jumped slightly in Vanessa’s arms, while the DI watched on in silence.

 

“Just need to get her a cape and mask.” The barmaid winked playfully at the small child, who seemed to be completely infatuated by her. No child had ever looked at her like this, especially not after a few minutes of knowing her.

 

“You’re funny Char’tee.” Johnny giggled shyly as the blonde pulled silly faces at him, letting her usual guard down for a short moment.

 

“Bedtime my darling, you can see Charity another time,” Vanessa spoke up, her heart swollen from the short interaction between the two blondes. She hadn’t planned on Charity meeting Johnny any time soon, but after watching how easily Charity got along with her son, she was very glad that the two had met at last.

 

“Night Char’tee.” He waved as a small yawn took over his little body and he cuddled himself into his Mother’s neck.

 

“Night little man, sleep tight.” Charity waved softly at him as Vanessa made her way up the stairs.

 

Charity smiled herself as she heard the floorboards above her creak and the sound of a rushed fairy-tale being read. Johnny was a sweet kid, just like his Mother. Charity had surprised herself with how easy it had been to let the small child in, instead of just running off at the first chance. He was adorable, from his little giggle to the way he struggled with her name. But she was still scared. She was afraid that she’d get attached to that little giggle and then she’d muck things up with Vanessa and never hear it again. She was also scared that Johnny would get attached, and she’d end up screwing him up the same way she has with her own kids. She knew that it was too soon to be worrying about this though, she and Vanessa had only just shared their first kiss and she didn’t see it going further than that tonight, and she was unusually alright with that. Their relationship had been too rushed so far, and while that wasn’t her usual speed, Charity had taken comfort in it.

 

“Little man asleep?” Charity asked softly as she saw Vanessa tiptoe down the stairs with a small smile creeping onto her face.  

 

“Out like a light,” Vanessa shook her head gently as she let out a small sigh, and plonked herself back down beside Charity, making sure to sit a little closer this time.

 

“I poured you another drink.” The barmaid murmured as she reached forward to grab the freshly filled glass for the DI.

 

“Not pour yourself one?” She questioned as she noticed Charity’s glass nowhere to be seen.

 

“I should be getting back,” Charity spoke tenderly, not wanting Vanessa to think that she was running off because of their little interruption, and while that thought had crossed her mind, it wasn’t the reason that she as leaving. She wanted to do things right with Vanessa, and staying tonight, or any longer, wasn’t what she thought was the right way to kick things off.

 

“Of course, I’ve kept you long enough,” Vanessa muttered as a soft blush attacked her neck and cheeks. She wished that Charity could stay for just a little longer, she wanted to feel her lips pressed against hers once again. She wanted to be held in her strong arms, and run her fingers through her gorgeous mane of hair.

 

“No, you haven’t. And I wish that I didn’t have to run off, but Debs is manning the bar and watching the kids, so I think she could use a break and a hand.” The taller woman quickly reassured her as she gently laced their fingers together, enjoying the softness of Vanessa’s hand against hers.

 

“Thanks for coming over tonight Charity, it was really what I needed without even knowing it.” The DI smiled thankfully as she gave her hand a little squeeze before walking Charity over to the door. “Even if we did get interrupted.” She smirked playfully once they stopped at the door, neither quite ready to leave just this second.

 

“Easy fix for that.” Charity smirked as she moved to kiss the smaller woman, only to be stopped when Vanessa pushed her into the small porch/cloakroom and closed the living room door.

 

“Just one second.” Vanessa smiled as she moved past Charity to flip the lock on the front door.

 

“Planning on trapping me in?” The blonde joked as she watched on in amusement.

 

“Just want to make sure that we have no more interruptions for when I do this…” The blonde practically jumped into Charity’s arms as their lips met once again. Clumsy hands moved to Vanessa’s waist, as the DI happily tangled hers through thick blonde hair. The pair relished in their passionate embrace as soft moans slipped out past the sound of hungry kisses, and when they finally pulled apart, both were breathless and still clinging to each other.

 

“Worth all the interruptions?” Charity asked breathlessly, as she placed a small kissed on Vanessa’s neck, tempted to leave a mark, but deciding against it for now.

 

“Umm, maybe.” Vanessa hummed with desire, enjoying the feel of Charity’s lips on her hot skin. “I think I’m gonna need more to go on though.” She moaned as her hands stayed threaded in Charity’s golden locks, gripping on for dear life as she waves of pleasure washed over her. Charity quickly kissed her way back up to meet the blonde hungry lips.

 

“Mmm, I really do have to go through.” Charity reluctantly pulled away from Vanessa, wishing that hadn’t talked herself into doing things right with Vanessa. “See ya tomorrow? I’m always up for a nightcap or a little tongue twister if you are.” She sent her a cheeky wink, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. Vanessa, however, didn’t take it as friendly banter and felt her heart sink slightly as she took in her words.

 

“Goodnight Charity.” Vanessa tried to hide the small frown on her lips, as Charity stole one more small kiss.

 

“Sleep tight DI Sunshine.” She smiled brightly before unlocking the door and heading back to the pub with an extra spring in her step. While Vanessa stood frozen in her doorway, she had thought that all the rumours and remarks about Charity had been nothing but false information collected in spite. But the one thing she had feared the most seemed to be the only thing they had gotten right. Charity never looked for anything more than a bit of fun, and Vanessa didn’t know if she could live with just that.


	16. Chapter 16

Vanessa’s head was a mess. For the better part of the day, she was still on cloud nine from her with Charity kiss, it had been perfect, even with Johnny’s little interruption. Their lips moved together excitedly, perfectly, like they’ve been perfecting the art for years. But then there was this nagging voice in her head, relaying Charity’s words over and over. Had she said them a few weeks ago, Vanessa wouldn’t have cared. But that was before she started to get to know the blonde before she started to develop any sort of feelings towards her. Vanessa had convinced herself that maybe the Charity everyone was gossiping about wasn’t really her, that she wouldn’t have tried to reach out after messing things up if she didn’t want something more than a bit of fun. Then she went and said those words, right after the most earthshaking kiss Vanessa had ever experienced. She wanted a bit of fun, the occasion tongue twister, or a cheeky nightcap. That wasn’t what Vanessa wanted though, she wanted someone to come home too and cuddle with on the sofa. She wanted romantic nights out, and quiet walks through the village hand in hand. She wanted all of that, but she also wanted to feel Charity’s lips pressed against hers again, she wanted to drag her upstairs and touch her glorious body. But, Vanessa didn’t know if she was willing to push down how she felt in exchange for a few restless nights with Charity Dingle.

 

Vanessa sat in the Woolpack the afternoon after the kiss. Johnny was feeling right as rain, and couldn’t wait to get to Granda Frank’s and start his fun-filled day. So, Vanessa decided that she’d meet up with Rhona before she had to pick up her son and meet her sister. Rhona had been shocked when Vanessa suggested that they have lunch in the pub instead, and she wished that hadn’t of invited Paddy and Marlon along this time, but they needed to sort the skills auction. The pub had been a ballsy move, and the DI knew it. But she wanted to test the waters, to see those lust filled eyes once again, more importantly, she just wanted to be near the blonde again.

 

“Seriously Ness, you still have no idea what you’re offering up for the auction?” Rhona snapped playfully, but Vanessa could still hear the hint of annoyance laced in her voice. Vanessa couldn’t blame her though, the stress of trying to get Leo an assistant was weighing heavy on her and she knew that dragging her feet about the skills auction wasn’t helping any.

 

“I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately, just put my name down and I’ll do whatever.” The DI waved her hand nonchalantly, more pressing things playing on her mind, things she needed to get off her chest but couldn’t with Paddy and Marlon at their table, and the worry of Charity appearing behind the bar looming.

 

“That’s a dangerous thing to offer officer.” Charity’s voice cut through the blonde like a knife, making the amused smile on Vanessa’s disappear and turn into a shy smirk. The barmaid had been hoping that she’d see Vanessa today, and when she caught sight of her honey blonde hair and heard the telltale sound of her contagious laugh drift through the back, she fought to contain the excitement coursing through her.

 

“It’s Detective to you, and I didn’t mean it in that way!” Vanessa shot back almost instantly as she turned to face the smug barmaid. As soon as their eyes met, Vanessa knew that she was in for it.

 

“What about a night of personal security from Hotten’s finest?” Marlon jumped in, interrupting the uncomfortable staring contest that had been going on for a few minutes.

 

“I’m not playing bodyguard,” The DI snorted as she quickly turned away from the blondes infectious smile and playfully eyes.

 

“Well, you need to think of something Vanessa. The auction is in four days.” Rhona fought back the laughter as she spoke to her smitten friend. Things were obviously better between her friend and the barmaid now, and Rhona couldn’t wait to hear all the sordid details.

 

“Yeah, just pick something your good at and go with it,” Paddy added as he eyed the barmaid suspiciously. Of course, Chas had filled him in on the ins and outs of their developing relationship, but as far as he knew it had been more one big struck-out for Charity at this point.

 

“Fine!” She snapped playfully before leaning back into her chair and letting out a loud sigh. “I’ll teach knitting.” She whispered, prompting the group and barmaid to let out a shocking snort.

 

“I’m sorry what? Knitting? As in the old lady past times?” Charity laughed heartily, earning a small scowl from the DI, who had quickly turned in her chair to glare at the laughing woman.

 

“Yes, Charity, that kind of knitting.” Vanessa snapped playfully, her smirk matching Charity’s smug one. “If you’re so interested, then you are more than welcome to bid on me.” She added, ignoring the burning stares from her friends at the table.

 

“As tempting as a knitting session sounds DI Sunshine, I can think of a more better use of your time if I won.” The barmaid leaned on the bar and played with the bar mat, her lust for Vanessa seeping off every word.

 

“Do tell,” The DI winked teasingly, turning her whole body to face the blonde.

 

“Nope.” She replied with a pop as she raised her eyebrows teasingly. “But, if I’m feeling generous on Wednesday then you’ll find out.” The barmaid added, as her eyes slowly traced over the blonde's body hungrily.

 

“Better bring your piggy bank then. I’m sure that’s there’s gonna be a bidding war over me and my...skills.” Vanessa drew out the last word, making sure that Charity understood that it would be more than knitting she’d be offering.

 

“Do they not realise that we’re still here?” Paddy spoke up, his bald head red as he listened in. He knew that Charity had no filter, and she had often over shared aspects of her relationships in public. But something was different this time, she wasn’t sharing the juicy details, she was actually putting herself out there.

 

“And that we can hear everything that they are saying?” Marlon added questionably, surprised by his cousin’s odd behaviour towards the blonde, especially considering her profession.

 

“On that note, I should actually do some work.” Charity smiled shyly and quickly excused herself as a soft pink blush danced across her cheeks. Vanessa watched closely as the barmaid swiftly headed out the back, the soft smile never leaving her pink lips. As Vanessa turned back to face the group awkward glances were quickly exchanged and then forgotten, all parties agreeing that it was best to not bring up the blonde elephant in the room.

 

Lunch was quickly eaten as the group hashed out the final details for the auction. Jobs were given out, ideas were finalized and Vanessa was trying to wrap her head around her Charity problem. That woman was a cocktail of mixed signals, claiming to want a bit of fun one second, then out-right flirting with her in a pub full of people the next. Vanessa didn’t know what to do anymore, whether to give in to her desires and have one heck of a night with Charity or save herself the pain of falling for her, even more, when she knew that nothing real would come of it.

 

The barmaid in question would pop her head in every now and again, she’d ask if they needed a top up, but the questions were always sent Vanessa’s way, eyes always fixed onto her. Charity knew that there would be questions, especially from Marlon. She knew that it’d probably get out that she had a thing for Vanessa, the village copper. But she didn’t care, all she could think about is Vanessa’s lips pressed against her own, her hands exploring her magnificent body excitedly and the taste of her sweet fair skin. Her mind never stayed at work on a good day, but with Vanessa sitting at the table closest to the bar, she was practically useless and busied herself with the simplest of tasks, while listening in closely to their conversation. Her smugness slightly deflating when they failed to mention her name, not even once did they come close to the subject of her flirting.

 

“Finally everything is sorted!” Rhona clapped excitedly, prompting the barmaid to look busy and Vanessa let out a long sigh of relief. “Another round?” She asked the table. Paddy and Marlon were quick to nod her way, before going back to their own little conversation, while Vanessa quickly checked her watch and frowned.

 

“Not for me thanks. I’ve got to pick Johnny up from my Dads.” She smiled regrettably at her friend as she gathered her things from the table.

 

“Aww too bad. I’ll see you tomorrow yeah.” The vet stood and pulled the blonde in for a small hug, watching closely as Charity suddenly stopped cleaning glasses and glanced their way sadly. “And don’t forget to say goodbye to your lover girl on the way out.” She whispered as she watched Charity stare longingly at Vanessa. Rhona had bear witness to Charity Dingle’s relationships many times over the years, but this version of the blonde was definitely a new one.

 

“Goodbye, Rhona!” The DI shook her head playfully, before taking her leave. She had no intention of stopping to talk to Charity, her mind still filled with unsureness.

 

“Drink later?” Charity called out softly, forcing the blonde to stop in front of the bar. Three sets of eyes peered over at them, eagerly waiting for Vanessa’s response before Charity’s wicked glare scared them away.

 

“Can’t, I’ve got a make-up night with Johnny?” She replied, her heart breaking as she saw a look of hurt flash across Charity’s face.

 

“Putting makeup on the chap, poor kid.” She laughed softly, hoping that she’d have the chance to spend some quality time with Vanessa.

 

“Make. Up.” The blonde shook her head amusingly. “Two separate words Charity.” She clarified, causing a faint blush to creep onto her cheeks.

 

“Right…we could meet up after if you’d like? I could bring over another bottle, pick up where we left off?” Charity offered, biting her lip as she waiting for Vanessa to speak. Vanessa’s heart dropped as Charity’s words sunk in, she’d done a lot of thinking all day, but all it took was one sentence to confirm everything. Charity wanted a bit of fun, someone to keep her bed warm for a night or two and that’s it. She wasn’t interested in her, not the way she wanted her to be.

 

“Maybe another time. I’ve promised a bit of fun to someone else tonight, one that will probably involve the game twister, instead of your kind.” Vanessa stated clearly, before turning on her heel and exiting the bar, leaving Charity confused and worried that she’d somehow messed things up, yet again.

 

The chef watched on in confusion from his seat at the table. He knew the blonde was up to something and worried for Vanessa. Charity could be ruthless, and cruel, the complete opposite of the DI, which only worried him more. He knew that Vanessa could take care of herself, and could most likely crush him if need be. But Charity was a force that even her own family couldn’t deal with on a good day. There was something different about what he had just witnessed though. Charity’s face was free of her signature smirk, and when Vanessa walked away from her, she actually looked utterly gutted.  “And what was that all about dear cousin of mine?” Marlon asked as he approached the bar with caution, making the blonde run a hand through her mane of hair in annoyance.

 

“I’m pretty sure that was me stuffing things up again, only this time I’ve no clue what I’ve done wrong.” Charity snapped slightly, not caring that she had just shared her feelings for Vanessa with yet another relative, and a big-mouthed one at that. 

 

“Wait, you and Vanessa? For real, not just friendly, flirty banter?” The cook asked in shock, certainly not expecting an honest reply from the blonde, and definitely not one that confirmed her feelings towards someone.

 

“Yes Marlon, at least I thought there was, a me and Vanessa.” She pulled a face of pure regret as she let out a shaky sigh. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out where she had gone wrong this time, and she just wished that she had the guts to run after Vanessa. “Jesus, I always do this. I always screw things up.” She muttered to herself mostly, before dropping her head into her hands and letting out a muffled groan, prompting the chef to let out a small chuckle. It had been a while since Marlon had witnessed his cousin so worked up over someone before, and the fact that it was nice and caring Vanessa Woodfield, who was also a cop, just made the situation as a whole hilarious.

 

“Don’t jump the gun so quickly. You saw how excited she was when she thought you were going to bid on her at the auction.” Marlon’s eyes lit up with his own excitement, thinking that he had just thought up the best solution for her little problem.

 

“Saying it and doing it are two different things, Marlon.” The barmaid snorted before leaning forward to shelter their conversation away from the prying ears around them. “What would our lot say if they found out I spent Dingle money on a copper?” She hissed at her cousin, officially crushing his plan into a million little pieces.

 

“I hear that they really like Vanessa, isn’t she helping with the Tate business?” Marlon shot back, not allowing Charity to squirm away from what was obviously the best course of action for her to take.

 

“For now. When all this is over, she’ll just go back to being a rotten copper in their eyes.” Charity counterattacked, the pain and inner battles she was struggling with seeping through with every word.

 

“They got over Donna, and they’ll get over Vanessa too.” He added after a few moments of silence, knowing how terrified his cousin must be feeling. “Bid on her on Wednesday, and fix whatever it is you did wrong.” He warned playfully, not wanting Charity to throw away what could be a promising relationship for the blonde.

 

“Why are you helping me, Marlon?” She asked while coughing back the emotions trying to rise up her throat.

 

“Because I think it’s about time you found some real happiness Charity...and I think Vanessa could be great for you,” Marlon admitted honestly as he patted her hand caringly, knowing how hard she’s been trying over the last year.

 

“Thank you,” She whispered back with gratitude, before discreetly wiping away the stray tears about to escape from their prison.

 

“Anytime.” He replied almost instantly, knowing that it would be best to act like he hadn’t noticed the softer side to his cousin that had emerged. “How about a round on the house, as a thank you for my amazingness.” He joked trying to lighten the mood for Charity’s sake.

 

“I’ll bring them over,” Charity winked playfully, embracing her new found enthusiasm while mapping out how she planned to win the auction and get back into Vanessa’s good graces again.


	17. Chapter 17

Charity wasn't one for helping out others. In fact, she made a point to avoid it at all costs. But on the morning of the skills auction, the bumbling blonde found herself organizing paddles, allocating numbers and overseeing the food. It wasn’t cause she particularly cared about the auction - even though Leo was technically family – it was more that she just found the need to busy herself out of an uncharacteristic nervousness that had been plaguing her for the last few weeks. The cause was quite obvious, Vanessa. Ever since they started this little back and forth, Charity had been a haven of nervousness. Her palms would start to sweat at the thought of the blonde, and any time Charity would catch a small glimpse of her, her heart beat a mile-a-minute. These reactions, they were so new to Charity. Sure, she’d had crushes in the past, especially during her limited schoolgirl years. But after being thrust into adulthood, she couldn’t understand where these reactions were coming from; and more importantly, she didn’t know what they meant. She wanted Vanessa, this was much was obvious, but to what extent? Did she want a few glorious, hot, steamy nights together? Or something more…a relationship? Hand holding, goodbye kisses, cuddles on the sofa, _‘How was your day babe?_ Charity, like always didn’t have all the answers and she was afraid to even approach what the possible outcome of them being together would be. There was a lot at stake, her family, her reputation…and Vanessa. Either she’d lose out on an amazing, feisty woman that makes her heart race with a mere glance…or she’d become the black sheep of the family – once again – Charity didn’t know what to do, or where Vanessa stood on this whole situation. They needed to have a proper talk, the kind that Charity despised, but first, Charity had an auction to win.

 

The pub was buzzing with excitement by lunchtime, and the turn out had shocked the blonde barmaid. Local business owners, a bunch of regulars, Vanessa Dad, some members of her own family, all scattered around the pub, ready to bid on the long line up skilled members of the community. But Charity couldn’t care less if Pete Barton was offering up his handy service, or if the new school principal was doing a spot of tutoring. She had her sights set on the cute blonde, with an unusual knitting talent, and she was going home empty-handed.

 

“Pint?” Charity blurted out as soon as Vanessa was in earshot. The DI froze as the gravelly voice reached her ears, and slowly she turned to face the smiling blonde she had been avoiding for the last few days. “On the house, yeah?” Charity asked again, now that she had Vanessa’s attention and quickly began to pull a pint of her favourite larger before she could object.

 

“Thank you…but I’m still on shift.” Vanessa smiled apologetically while moving her yellow raincoat to the side to reveal her gun and badge secured to her hip.

 

“Rhona bringing in the big guns?” The blonde joked sadly as she put the fresh pint to one side.

 

“Oh yes. Got the whole of Hotten police on standby and everything.” The smaller woman joked with ease, as she hopped onto the bar stool in front of Charity. “I’ll take an orange juice please.” She nodded sharply while playing with the bar mat and avoiding any eye contact with the blonde. The tension between the two was thick and suffocating. Vanessa wanted to talk about things, but she knew Charity well enough by now and guessed that all she would get is snappy, sarcastic remarks in response if she even dared to touch on the subject of their pending relationship.

 

“How have you been? Johnny alright?” Charity asked nonchalantly as she poured, trying to create the illusion that she didn’t really care, in case anyone was listening in on their conversation.

 

“He’s good. Made a new friend at nursery bless him.” Vanessa smiled softly, wondering how Charity would react to the interesting news her son filled her in on the night before. “Little boy called Moses.” She finished, studying the barmaid’s reaction carefully. Surprisingly so, Charity couldn’t fight the smile creeping onto her face when she heard that her son had finally made a new friend.

 

“You’re kidding?” She gasped as she placed the orange juice in front of the blonde, before leaning on the beer tap as she waited to hear all the sordid details that she had missed out on with it being Ross’ night with Moses last night.

 

“Nope. Came skipping in yesterday to tell me all about it.” The DI watched a wave of relief wash over the barmaid, and for once the blonde looked genuinely happy.

 

“That’s a relief.” Charity let out a shaky sigh, before lowering her voice slightly and leaning towards Vanessa. “Moses, he’s a shy boy. Had a real hard time making friends, so I’m glad that him and Johnny are getting along.” She informed the smaller woman with a shy smile, her whole face lighting up as she talked about her son.

 

“Me too.”

 

“We should have a playdate, bring them to the park or something?” She suggested excitedly, seeing this newly found friendship between their son’s, as the perfect excuse to spend more time with Vanessa.

 

“Yeah, we’ll set something up.” Vanessa nodded along, glad that Johnny was finally settling in. The two sat in silence, their hands lay mindlessly on the bar millimetres apart, longing to be joined once again, but neither willing to take the risk. The pub was full to the brim of nosey neighbours and even nosier relatives, making the scene much to public for Charity’s liking.

 

“Ness, can you help me with something?” Rhona called out from her place on the make-shift stage, decorated simply by Charity. The shy smile plastered on the barmaid’s face was quick to vanish as Vanessa waved back to Rhona, telling her she’d be over in a second.

 

“And that’s my cue to get back to work.” The DI sighed and jumped off the barstool. She had actually enjoyed her limited time with Charity, and a small part of her wished that she hadn’t let the blonde’s comment get to her.

 

“Hey, umm.” Charity called out as Vanessa tried to walk away from the bar. “What do I get if I win?” She smirked playfully while biting her lip in anticipation.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“The auction DI Sunshine.” She rolled her eyes in amusement, completely infatuated by the shorter blonde. “What do I get if I win Hotten’s finest?”

 

“The same thing as anyone else Charity. A knitting lesson.” The DI shot back a sad smile before turning on her heel and walking over to Rhona. She missed this part the most, their friendly banter and cheeky flirting. It had been the best part of her day for weeks, and now she couldn’t help but feel her heart sink as she thought back on all the cheeky winks and devious smirks. They could have been perfect together, or at least great. But now all they would ever be was meaningless flirting across the pub.

 

“Ouch.” Chas’ voice cut through the barmaid like a knife. She knew that she had struck out with Vanessa once again, only this time she had a much larger audience.

 

“How long have you been listening?” Charity cringed as she turned to face her smirking cousin.

 

“Not long.” The younger woman smiled boldly as she strutted over to the mortified blonde. “Glad Moses has made a wee friend though.” She added with a wink and small hip bump. It had been quite the entertaining encounter, Chas not used to seeing her man-eating cousin strikeout.

 

“How would you like it if I were to listen in on your conversations with Paddy?” The taller woman snapped, not in the mood for getting the mick taken out of her by anyone, especially her family.

 

“Listen all you like.”

 

“Nah, can’t afford the therapy sessions.” A shiver of discomfort and disgust ran through her body. The walls of the Woolpack were thin, and Charity had already heard more than enough to scar her for life.

 

“So, you gonna bid on her then?” Chas asked through her own laughter as she watched Charity stare out into the pub crowd, her eyes firmly fixed on the blonde detective.

 

“That’s the plan.” Charity nodded slowly as she bit down on her lip, her gaze never leaving Vanessa. “We need to talk, and every time I try, I always seem to put my foot in my mouth and make her angry.” She explained to the curious brunette, a slight sadness very present in her tone. This side of Charity was refreshing to the pub owner, she was so used to the sarcastic, vindictive and cruel blonde, but ever since Vanessa came into her life she’s been different. She’s nicer, more helpful, she doesn’t snap so easily, and she’s even trying to better herself as a Mother. Chas couldn’t help but smile as she watched the subtle changes come to play, and while she didn’t know if it was just Charity’s need to impress Vanessa driving the changes, she was still thankful for the blonde and hoped that things would work out between them for everyone’s sake.

 

“How is winning an auction going to stop that from happening?” Chas quipped while watching Vanessa over Charity’s shoulder, she could definitely see what had drawn her cousin in, Vanessa is a very beautiful woman, in a plain-ish sort of way and from what Chas had seen, Vanessa could hold her own when it came to Charity, which was always a good thing.

 

“It won’t. But, she also won’t be able to walk away so easily.” The blonde pointed out before turning and walking right into the brunette, who she didn’t know was behind her.

 

“Gonna tie her up with her wool?” The pub owner joked as she found her footing once again, and shot a warning glance to any punters that may have been watching.

 

“Why do I even bother?” Charity shook her head, before heading out back to see if Marlon had any food orders that needed to be served before the auction began.

 

“Because you love me!” Chas shouted after her, nothing but supportive playfulness laced in her voice.

 

“Yeah righ-” Charity shouted back before catching a glimpse of a certain teenager that was meant to be in school. “Noah! What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” She shouted at the young man whose arms were full of stolen crisps packets and a few bottles of lemonade from the cellar.

 

“Half day.” Noah shrugged with a weak smile, hoping that his Mum would buy the pathetic excuse.

 

“Oh really? And how about I go and ask your principal out there?” She smirked back, as she watched Noah turn as white as a ghost. “Back to school. Now!” She demanded while pushing him back into the living room, and throwing all but one packet of crisps and lemonade bottle onto the sofa.

 

“I wanna watch the auction, please Mum,” Noah begged, but he knew that there was no hope as Charity continued to push him towards the back door of the small home.

 

“Noah, school is important. You can’t keep bunking off all the time.” Charity warned as she draped a loving arm over the young boy's shoulder, hating the soft frown that played on his lips, but she knew that she was right on this occasion and no amount of frowning was going to change that.

 

“You never went to school.” He shot back, his usual teenage angst seeping into every word as he avoided any eye contact with his Mum.

 

“And I regret that so much Noah.” She snorted, the painful memories of her youth attacking her mind momentarily before she quickly locked them away once again. “I wish I had half of your brains.” She gently ruffled his short hair, laughing slightly as he tried and failed to escape her clutches.

 

“Must come from the Tate side.” Charity froze as the sting of Joseph Tate’s voice danced through the air. The blonde quickly began to feel her blood start to boil, as she turned to lay her eyes on his disgusting rich boy smirk. “Hey, I’m Joe.” He looked right through Charity and directly at Noah, the predatory glare intensifying as he moved closer, followed by his two lap-dogs Graham and Ross.

 

“Don’t you dare come near him, in fact, don’t even look at him.” Charity stood in front of her son, ready to pounce on the jerk in front of her if he so much as took one more step towards Noah.

 

“Feisty, feisty.” Joe chuckled, his arrogant smirk fading slightly as he stopped a few feet away. “I just want to have a chat with Noah. Surely that’s not too much to ask for?”

 

“Get to school Noah.” The blonde ignored the man and instead turned around to face her curious son, praying that he would listen to her for once.

 

“But-” Noah tried to argue back, part of him wanting to get to know his brother and learn about his Dad’s side of the family.

 

“Now Noah.” His Mother warned forcefully, effectively getting her point across to her son. “We’ll talk when you get home.” She nodded a little softer than before, as the grumpy teenager set off.

 

“Sorry…” Noah whispered to his half-brother as he passed, not daring to stop out of fear for what his Mum might do.

 

“See, he talked to me and the world didn’t end. Why are you fighting me on this?” Joe smirked once Noah was well out of earshot.  “He’s my little brother. I have a right to get to know him.” He added while taking a few steps towards the furious blonde.  

 

“Over my dead body!” Charity spat at him, daring him to come closer so she could finish him off once and for all.

 

“Name a time and a place. I can have that arranged for you.” He shot right back, the mutual feeling of hatred boiling over between them.

 

“Is that a threat? Because there is a copper in there, that I’ll happily bring out here.” She smirked, her heart racing as she thought of Vanessa coming to her aid once again and wiping that smug look from his face.

 

“Let me guess. Detective Inspector Woodfield?” Joe shot back at her, curious as to the hold Charity seemed to have over the new Detective. “I’m getting tired of her constant harassment. Maybe another call to her boss is in order.”

 

“Leave her out of this. Do you not think that you’ve destroyed enough lives around here?” Charity warned almost instantly, her need to protect Vanessa seeping out.

 

“No. Not yet.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, before sending Ross and Graham a fleeting look, informing them that it was time to go. “See you around Charity.” He shouted over his shoulder, as the trio headed back to the car, Joe extremely happy with the progress he had made.

 

Charity’s heart tightened as she watched Joe drive off down the road. She wished that she could whisk Noah away from all this, and especially from the Tate’s. He deserved better in life, and Charity knew that no good would come from Noah getting to know his half-brother, no matter how much he wanted too. He was a Dingle and had more than enough family already, he didn’t need anymore.

 

Her head was reeling as she stalked back into the pub that was sizzling with excitement, the auction was well underway. Charity’s leisurely walk, quickly turned into a panicked run as she feared she was going to miss her chance to bid on Vanessa. “And that’s £50 for world-class knitting session, going once, twice, sold to Rishi.” Rhona’s voice declared Charity’s fear as she stepped back into the pub and watched Vanessa step down from the small stage. She was too late, and the £100 in her pocket - that she had collected from tips over the last few days - suddenly weighed down on her even more.

 

“You have got to be kidding me.” Charity swore under her breathe, catching the attention of her cousin.

 

“Where the hell did you go? I tried to bid, but I didn’t know what your limit was.” Chas quickly approached her, as she spoke in a hushed whisper.

 

“I had to deal with Noah.” The blonde spoke defeatedly as she watched Vanessa chat to Marlon and Paddy happily, “Great…just great.” She muttered, mentally cursing herself for getting sucked into Joe’s trap and missing out on her chance to show Vanessa she cared.

 

Charity sat at the bar defeatedly for the rest of the auction, not tempted once to put her hand in her pocket and bid on anyone else. She watched along as people drank and laughed together. She watched Vanessa be chatted up by randoms and wished she had the nerve to walk over and make it known to everyone that she was hers. By the time the usual lunch was over, the pub was slowly starting to empty, and Charity took this as her opportunity to try again with Vanessa.

 

“Vanessa, wait a sec.” Charity called out, catching the blonde as she was about to exit the pub.

 

“I have to get back to work Charity.” Vanessa rolled her eyes in annoyance, letting the fact that Charity was nowhere to be seen during her auction get to her.

 

“I wanted to bid on you,” The taller woman tried to reassure her once she saw the look of hurt flash across Vanessa’s face.

 

“Let me guess, knitting didn’t fit with your whole _‘bad girl’_ thing you’ve got going on?” The DI snapped before giving Charity the chance to explain herself, afraid that she was going to be hurt by what she had to say. “I don’t have time for all this back and forth Charity.”

 

“And I do?”

 

“Seems like it.” Vanessa shrugged. “Look, I like you Charity…and I wanted to see where this could go. But I’m not hanging around for someone who is just looking for a good time. So once you’ve figured out what you want, let me know, until then…I’ve got to get back to work.” She forced a sweet smile onto her face, feeling slightly bad for avoiding all of Charity’s calls and texts over the last few days. She knew that avoiding the blonde wasn’t going to solve the festering problem that plagued Vanessa’s mind, but it did give her some time to think things over. And truthfully she missed the thrill that raced through her body when she was around Charity. Things with her were new and exciting, just what the DI craved in her life. She wanted things to work out between them, but she wasn’t in the business for playing whatever game Charity had her sights set on, no matter how much she craved her. So instead of waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and exited the pub.  

 

“I want Vanessa.” Charity stormed over to Rhona as soon as Vanessa left the pub. She was done with whatever messed up game was going on between them, and she was going to make Vanessa hear her out whether she liked it or not. But first, she needed a little bit of help.

 

“I feel like this is the type of conversation that you should be having with Vanessa.” Rhona looked up from her clipboard worrisomely, not interested in getting in the middle of Charity and Vanessa’s relationship anymore, especially when she had much more pressing things to worry about.

 

“I wanted to bid on her.” The blonde rolled her eyes, before shooting the brunette a pleading glance.

 

“So why didn’t you?” The vet asked directly. She knew that Charity disappearing before the auction had bothered Vanessa.

 

“I got called away by Noah. I’ll give you twice what Rishi paid.” Charity offered, hoping that Rhona would take her generous offer.

 

“What’s your deal here Charity? Why are you going through this much effort just to blow it again?” Rhona asked bluntly, the barmaid seriously starting to get on her nerves when it came to Vanessa.

 

“I don’t plan on doing that.” Charity promised, unsure of why Rhona was being so hard on her. “Please, Rhona. I really like Vanessa, and I know that sounds weird coming from me because truthfully I don’t like anyone…but I like her. And I want to show her that…that maybe I don’t want just a bit of fun.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Really?”  

 

“Yes, I’ll tell Rishi that there was an anonymous donation that was greater than his.” Rhona smiled slightly, content in Charity’s explanation.

 

“Thank you.” The smile on the blonde’s face brightened as she pulled out the bundle of notes from her pocket and added an extra £20 on top of the £100 that was already there. “Oh and here’s a little extra for the kid. He is a Dingle after all.” Charity shot the brunette a wink, before strutting back to her job behind the bar, her confidence restored and mind flooded with hundreds of ideas. She finally had her chance to get things sorted out with Vanessa once and for all, but first, she had to decide on how to get the blonde back on her good side…again.


	18. Chapter 18

“Oh god, sorry that I’m…” Vanessa froze at the entrance of the pub, taking a short moment to scan the buzzing establishment for the winner of her skills auction prize. A slight wave of relief washed over her when instead of an over-enthusiastic Rishi smiling over at her, she was met with the confused glances of her sister and friend. “Looks like I’m not the only one running late then. Gives you enough time to buy me a drink.” She winked at Tracy before plonking herself onto the bar stool, noticing straight away that Charity was nowhere to be seen for a change.

 

“And who exactly is meant to be running late?” Tracy smirked at her sister, before nodding at an eavesdropping Chas to pull Vanessa a pint.

 

“I’ve got my knitting thing tonight, haven’t I?” The DI shrugged, sparing the brunette barmaid a soft smile as she planted the much-needed drink in front of her. “Chief was dragging his heels in that meeting. I never thought I’d get away.” She added before taking a rather large and unladylike gulp of her drink, knowing fine rightly that she’d need quite a few to make it through the night.

 

“I thought I told you to tell her.” Rhona reached out and gently snapped the blonde shopkeeper’s hand while sparing a few knowing glances to her and Chas.

 

“Must have slipped my mind. With David being back and that, I’ve been rather preoccupied.” The blonde winked, earning a playful gagging sound from her sister.

 

“What did she not tell me then?” Vanessa laughed along with Chas and Rhona, both equally disgusted and jealous of Tracy and her late night activities.

 

“It seems that Rishi wasn’t the highest bidder after all,” Rhona informed the confused blonde with ease, having practised this conversation a number of times over the past few days to make sure she didn’t mess up the surprise waiting for her.

 

“I was there, and he was literally the only one interested.” Vanessa’s words stung herself as they slipped out effortlessly. The thoughts of that day burnt into her memory, playing on a constant loop and making her feel even more miserable than before.

 

“An anonymous bidder offered £70 more than Rishi, so they win in my book.” The vet shrugged, praying that Vanessa didn’t question her too much about the mystery bidder.

 

“Someone paid £120 for a knitting lesson?” The blonde asked in shock before downing the remainder of her pint. “Nice to have money to burn I suppose. And it saves me from what would’ve probably been a painstakingly boring evening tonight.” She added with a pop of excitement, before hopping off the stool.

 

“And where do you think you’re going?” Chas asked, injecting herself into the conversation once again.

 

“Home. To my son and a Paw Patrol marathon.” Vanessa smirked back, holding in the snort of amusement at Chas’ obvious interfering, likely on Charity’s request.

 

“Dad has Johnny tonight, remember?” Tracy quickly reminded her sister, as worried looks were shared between the group. They had one job, and all three were failing miserably at it.

 

“There is such a thing as picking him up you know.”

 

“By why do that when you can have a relaxing night to yourself, or even better having a few drinks with us?” The shopkeeper counterattacked, panic rising up inside as Vanessa tried to exit the pub once again. “You know Johnny loves his time with Dad, and the two will probably already be tucked up on the sofa with popcorn and a terrible movie.”

 

“You do make a good point,” Vanessa muttered softly, the possibility of a relaxing night spent with a bottle of wine and bad TV feeling really good right about now.

 

“Another pint then?” Rhona grinned sheepishly, as Chas practically jumped to grab a clean pint glass.

 

“No offence, but I’d rather be enjoying a bubble bath in peace.” The DI rolled her eyes at the trio, whose faces fell slightly, but were quickly covered up by fake smiles. “See you lot tomorrow.”

 

“Bye. Have fun, Ness.” Tracy called out, before letting her head fall onto the polished bar top once her sister was out of sight.

 

“Let’s hope we stalled her long enough,” Chas muttered.

 

Vanessa couldn’t wait to lavish in the comfort of her pyjamas and a much-needed glass of wine. It had been a long week full of internal arguments that always seemed to have a certain blonde barmaid at the root. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was really hurting and wished that she had of heeded everyone’s advice and stayed well away from Charity Dingle. No, that wasn’t fair. She didn’t regret the limited time they spent together, the thrilling flirting, the heated kisses. She definitely didn’t regret the fleeting touches, and a part of her wished that she had more to look back on. But they never would have worked out, and Vanessa knew that ending things before they started was the best thing for both parties.

 

Much to Vanessa surprise, a dim light peered through her drawn curtains. She could have sworn that she turned all the lights off before leaving the house that morning, but with her mind suck on other things, she knew that anything was possible. A suspicion that was quickly proven right, when she reached her door and found it unlocked, causing the blonde to inch her hand into her purse where her gun rested, knowing in her heart of hearts that there was no way that she’d actually forget to lock the door.

 

A soft humming filled the small home as Vanessa entered, confirming that there was indeed an intruder in her home. In a flash, Vanessa’s protective, police officer mode rose and the blonde silently prepared herself for whatever she was about to face once she walked into the living room.

 

Stealthily, the blonde opened the door, trying and failing to see anything but her usual furniture and Johnny’s toys. Moving a step over the threshold, Vanessa couldn’t believe what she was seeing before her very eyes. “Bout time you came home. I was worried that I’d have to warm this lot up in the micro at this rate.” The small dining table was set to perfection, covered with a cream tablecloth, and littered with rose petals. A few scented candles were scattered around the kitchen, burning away, their strong scents mixing perfectly with the delicious smelling food. But the icing on the cake was standing proud in the midst of all this, and as much as Vanessa didn’t want to admit it...she looked absolutely amazing.

 

“Charity! What the hell are you doing in my kitchen? And how the bloody heck did you get in?” Vanessa hissed, going over in her head all the laws Charity had probably broken to pull all of this off.

 

“One. I’m cooking you a lovely meal, you’re welcome by the way. And two. Tracy gave me the key, to save me from breaking and entering.” Charity smiled seductively, feeling quite proud of herself. It had been one hell of a day, between trying to get everyone on board, cooking, and then re-cooking their dinner. She had barely enough time to throw a dress on and do her hair before arriving to set up, but she knew that it was all worth it. Because, even underneath the deep-seeded scowl, Charity could tell that Vanessa had been blown away when she saw everything.

 

“What are you playing at Charity? I told you that I don’t have time for your games.” The DI let out a shaky sigh, as she threw her purse onto the nearby sofa. She wished that it didn’t have to be this way, but she knew that it wouldn’t sit right with herself if she let herself go down the Charity Dingle rabbit hole of fun, more fun and eventual heartbreak.

 

“120 quid says otherwise.” The blonde smirked mischievously, before pulling out the mock certificate she had made to mark the occasion. “I do believe that we have a two-hour long knitting date.” She added while handing the laminated document over, before turning her attention to the simmering peppercorn sauce on the hob, reeling in the fact that she was able to make a small smile appear on Vanessa’s face, even if it only lasted a short moment.

 

“It was you? I should have seen that one coming.” Vanessa nodded slowly, the anger she had built up over the past few days rising to the surface. “Too embarrassed to bid on me in person, so you go behind my back?”

 

“I’m not here for a fight Vanessa.” Charity muttered while turning the hob off and focusing her full attention on the blonde. “So, what will it be then? Knitting or dinner?” Vanessa stood furiously in the middle of her living room, surrounded by sweet scented candles, flowers and balls of wool. Her day had been a train wreck from start to finish, and the last thing she wanted was to find Charity Dingle standing in her kitchen with that delicious smirk she wore too well. But now that she was here, Vanessa slowly began to realise that maybe this was what she needed after all.

 

Vanessa took a deep breath as she looked around the decorated kitchen once more. She knew that this would be the perfect end to a long week, but she couldn’t promise that it wouldn’t end in raised voices and hurt feelings. Either way, she was willing to spend the night in the company of the blonde that had been invading her thoughts for weeks, so she slowly began to nod. “I think it’s best for me to put my gun away before we partake in either.” She smirked while picking up her purse, before heading up the stairs. “And I’ll have a large glass of wine please.” She shouted down, already imagining the smile on Charity’s face.

 

“Dinner it is then.”

 

Very few words were spoken during dinner – much to Charity’s dislike – both women stayed caught up in their own thoughts. Charity tried to string along a sentence that wouldn’t harm their relationship anymore, while Vanessa tried to talk herself down from having a go at Charity. It wasn’t until the two had finished dessert, that the conversation began to arise.

 

“Marlon helped.” Charity muttered, causing Vanessa to look up from her plate for the first time that night. “Honesty. It’s my new thing…well, kind of. It’s my new thing with you.”

 

“You want to be honest with me?”

 

“Yes?” Charity’s voice was soft and vulnerable, as she shared a confused look with the DI. “I know I obviously did something…well, probably a bit more than something. More like a couple of somethings, to annoy you…and I wanted to make it up to you.”

 

“And that’s what tonight was? You trying to make it up to me?” Vanessa finally snapped, catching Charity slightly off guard with her outburst. “Why Charity?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Why are you going through all this trouble and effort? It’s all just a bit fun after all. A few tongue twisters here and there.” She spat, not holding back. She was hurting, and the hurt only intensified as she sat through dinner. It could have been a perfect date, the kinds she dreamt of. But instead, her mind was plagued with the fact, that Charity didn’t want her in the way that she wished.

 

“What are you talking about?” Charity reached across the table and gently grazed her fingers against Vanessa’s hand, loving the feeling of her soft skin touching hers. “I mean, a tongue twister now and again sounds amazing…but I was kinda hoping for something a little more than that?”

 

“Oh I know what you’re hoping for Charity, and sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not looking for a bit of fun.” Vanessa quickly snatched her hand away from Charity’s touch and stood, taking the wine bottle with her into the living room.

 

“Babe, you’ve got this completely wrong.” The barmaid followed in suit, taking caution when deciding to sit next to the angry blonde on the sofa.

 

“I’m just repeating your words Charity.” Vanessa spat before necking the bottle, praying that the effects of the alcohol would block everything out.

 

Charity sat in silence for a few moments, taking care to chose her words carefully. She could see where Vanessa was coming from, and she hated that her meaningless comments had caused the blonde so much pain, but that’s all they were. Stupid, inconsiderate comments that she didn’t mean one bit. “That may be so, but I never once did I say that I didn’t want anything more with you.” She added sweetly, prompting the blonde beside her to turn with a slightly shocked expression planted firmly on her face. “Because I do Vanessa. I may not be the cuddly, PDA, person that you’re used to…and I will definitely end up saying the wrong thing, but that doesn’t change the fact…that I can’t get you out of my head Vanessa Woodfield.”

 

“You can’t?” Vanessa’s face finally softened, and the DI couldn’t help but feel absolutely horrible for how she had been treating Charity over the last few days.

 

“Nope. I mean we’ve only kissed a handle full of times, but you’re still all I can think about. And these past few days, I’ve been kicking myself because I thought that I’d done something wrong and ruined everything again.” Charity smiled softly as she tried her luck and reached forward to take Vanessa’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers together with ease.

 

“You don’t want a night of fun?”

 

“I don’t think I could be satisfied with just one night with you DI Sunshine.” She whispered smoothly, as she leaned forward, her target well within her reach.

 

“But before in the pub, you could barely even look at me most days and you disappeared during the auction,” Vanessa spoke, causing Charity to pull back momentarily.

 

“I really like you, Vanessa…and I know that I may act a certain way in front of other people, but that’s just who I am.” Charity frowned slightly, not used to being as open with her feelings. “And I had to deal with Noah during the auction, but as soon as you left I practically forced Rhona to let me win.”

 

“I’ve been such a cow.” Vanessa snatched her hand back gently, before burying her face into both hands and letting out a series of loud groans.

 

“Just a little bit…but I understand now.” Charity gently pried Vanessa’s hands away, and cupped her red cheek, forcing their eyes to meet. “And in all honesty, I probably would have acted ten times worse if I was in your shoes.”

 

“I like you too, by the way,” Vanessa whispered as the blush on her cheeks intensified. This had been the moment she had thought of the most. It was so simple, yet, it meant everything to Vanessa. Charity liked her, she really liked her.

 

“I’d like to bloody well think so! Do you know how long it took me to put this lot together?” The barmaid cracked a small joke, wanting to hear that sweet laugh again and see Vanessa’s dazzling smile.

 

“Then, I think you’ve earned this.” The blonde cooed before finally closing the distance between them. Days of pent-up passion and frustration exploded into their embrace, and what had started out as a soft kiss, quickly deepened into a lust filled embrace.

 

“I’ve missed this…” Charity mumbled against Vanessa’s lips, as she pulled the blonde onto her lap and placed her hands firmly on her backside.

 

“Is Charity Dingle getting all soft on me?” Vanessa pulled away slightly as she rested her forehead against Charity’s, listening to her pounding heartbeat ring in her ears.

 

“In your dreams…I’m merely overtaken by my own needs for human interactions.” She coughed softly, before licking her lips longing for more.

 

“Well, in that case…” Vanessa closed the distance once more, placing a bunch of fleeing kisses on the blonde’s lips and neck. “Why don’t you come upstairs, so I can apologise properly?”

 

“On the first date? Vanessa Woodfield, I’m shocked.” Charity could feel her body start to beg for the blonde on top of her. Every night she’d spent thinking about Vanessa, wishing she could finally explore her glorious body, all came flooding back to her.  

 

“I think we have both been dying to do this for quite some time, don’t you agree?” Vanessa’s voice sent shivers through Charity’s body, this was a whole new level of sexy for the blonde and she didn’t know if she could survive much longer, especially when Vanessa quickly resumed her attack on her neck.

 

“Oh, I definitely agree…but…”

 

“But?” The DI shot up, her lipstick very clearly smudged and eyes sad as she waited for Charity to continue.

 

“But, I want to do things right with you, Vanessa.” They both knew what the other was thinking, what they both craved from the night, but Charity wasn’t too sure that it was the right time for them. No matter how much her body seemed to want this. “And I don’t want you getting the wrong idea again.” She pinched her hips playfully, wanting to make sure that Vanessa knew that this didn’t change how she felt. The last thing Charity wanted, was for them to take any more steps backwards.

 

“Haha,” Vanessa smirked wickedly, before leaning in to whisper directly into Charity’s ear. “Are you seriously telling me that you’d rather sleep all alone at the pub? Come upstairs with me.”

 

How could she say no to that? And it wasn’t like they were teenagers. They were grown-ass adults, who both had been clearly craving this type of contact from each other for a while. “You don’t have to ask me a third time…I do believe that we’ve both got a lot of making up to do DI Sunshine.” Charity’s smile excited Vanessa immensely, prompting her to jump off the blonde’s lap and hold out her hand.

 

“And we’ve got all night to do so…” She stole one last kiss before the two practically ran up the stairs like a pair of schoolgirls, all the misunderstandings, the fighting and the doubt left behind. All that mattered was each other, and the restless night they were about to spend together, at long last.


	19. Chapter 19

The pale yellow duvet clung to Vanessa naked body as she began to rise the next morning. Her night with Charity had been everything she’d imagined it would be. Every touch, every kiss set the blonde on fire, and to make things even more perfect, she stayed. Charity threw her arm over Vanessa’s waist, snuggled in close and happily fell asleep. Vanessa couldn’t believe how the previous night had played out, especially after she spent the better part of the week cursing Charity’s name and claiming that she wasn’t going to get involved with the barmaid anymore. Boy, was she glad that she didn’t stick to her guns. The air was finally cleared, and with the admission of Charity’s feelings for her running around Vanessa’s head, the DI was really hoping that it stayed clear.

 

Vanessa threw an aching arm across the bed, expecting to cuddle up next to Charity’s warm body. But instead, all she was met with was coldness. Peeking one eye open, Vanessa’s worst fears were confirmed. She was alone. Just like every morning. The bed might as well be a single instead, at this rate she didn’t have much use for a double. Fuming, Vanessa threw the sheets off and quickly got dressed in her comfiest pyjamas and fluffy dressing gown. She wasn’t ready to face the world yet and predicted that she’d spend the rest of the day on her sofa, resisting the urge to call Charity and give her a piece of her mind. Vanessa couldn’t be too mad though, Charity had work and her own children to take care of. She probably didn’t have time to lay in bed all morning.

 

As Vanessa dragged herself down the narrow staircase, she was surprised when the strong scent of coffee hit her in the face. She wasn’t expecting Tracy until later that day, but she figured that her sister was probably dying to know how the scheme she was obviously a part of had played out.

 

“There better be enough brewed for us both,” Vanessa called out, as she skipped down the last few steps. “You’re not gonna believe the night I’ve ha-” The blonde froze mid-sentence, completely blown away when her eyes landed on the taller blonde at the table. Charity wore a cheeky smirk, that was quickly hidden behind her coffee mug.

 

“Do tell DI Sunshine. How was your night?” Vanessa took her time answering, instead, she let her eyes run lazily over Charity’s body. Her legs were bare, silky, smooth. She wore her shirt from last night, only buttoned up slightly and leaving nothing up to Vanessa’s imagination. Her mane of hair was all over the place, sticking out at all ends, making her look even more gorgeous.

 

“Perfect.” The DI smiled shyly, as Charity caught her wondering eyes. “And last night was alright too.” She added with a wink, forcing a furious blush to creep onto Charity’s pale cheeks.

 

“Smooth.” Charity couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, as Vanessa swayed over to her. The barmaid happily reached out to pull the smaller woman onto her lap, prompting Vanessa to let out a small squeal of joy. 

 

“How about a repeat of last night then?” The blonde purred as she captured Charity’s lips forcefully while straddling her bare lap. The fluffy dressing gown was quickly discarded as Charity’s hands roamed happily, retracing the events of the night before as the kiss deepened. While the smaller blonde buried her hands in the unkempt mane of hair, tugging it slightly, just the way that Charity liked it. “I’m so glad that breaking and entering is your forte.” She joked as the passionate kiss broke, and the two women gasped for air.

 

“Well, at least I’ve got a hot copper to keep me out of trouble.” Charity smiled brightly, as her hands slipped underneath her pyjamas and pinched the soft skin gently.

 

“Oh, you’ve got me, have you?” Charity’s soft grip on Vanessa’s hips tightened ever so slightly, helping her make her point without speaking. “Good, because I-”

 

“Mummy!” In a flash Charity quickly threw Vanessa off her lap without thinking, causing the blonde to land smack on the floor as Johnny came toddling into the room with Tracy in tow. “Mummy okay?” He asked without noticing Charity sat uncontrollably at the table, trying to pull her top down to cover her underwear.

 

“Yes, sweetheart.” Vanessa smiled as she picked herself off the floor and shot Charity a predictory glare, before throwing her discarded dressing gown at the blonde. Tracy had to bite her lip to stop the laughter from escaping, she knew oh too well what she had walked in on and she’d have great pleasure in teasing both women about the situation when Johnny wasn’t present.

 

“Just a little clumsy your Mummy, isn’t she?” Charity smiled down at the worried boy, who quickly turned as her raspy voice reached his ears.

 

“Char’tee!” Johnny cheered and threw his arms around the blondes now covered legs. “You come to play?” He asked excitedly while holding his arms up for Charity to pick him up. The blonde hesitated, looking to Vanessa for permission which was quickly granted. Gently, the barmaid scooped the over-excited toddler into her arms and rested him on her hip with ease.

 

“I’m sure we can squeeze a little playtime in before work.” The blonde tickled his sides gently, causing soft giggles to escape from the happy toddler.

 

“I’m sure a little playtime was always on the cards this morning,” Tracy muttered under her breath, earning a pair of death glares in response.

 

“Trace!”

 

“Jealousy isn’t a good look on ya.” Charity winked wickedly, before turning her attention back to the smiling toddler in her arms. “Why don’t we dig through your toy box little man. And leave Mummy and Auntie Tracy to chat for a little bit.” She cooed while walking over towards the overfilled box in the corner of the living room.

 

“Dinosaurs!” Johnny roared melting Charity’s heart with his level of cuteness.

 

“You’re terrifying, kid!” She gasped and tickled his chest lightly, as his soft squeals filled the small home.

 

“Take it you had a good night then?” Tracy whispered to her sister, who couldn’t take her eyes off the two blondes who sat playing happily together on the living room floor.

 

“Thank you.” Vanessa smiled brightly, as she regrettably shifted her attention over to Tracy, who was staring back with a confused expression on her face. “For helping Charity.” She clarified, with a small nod towards the roaring blonde.

 

“Didn’t really have a choice. I was afraid she’d call a Dingle mob hit if I said no.” Tracy chuckled as she thought back to the terrifying moment when Charity cornered her and Rhona in the pub a few days previous. “I’m glad that you two are finally sorted.” The taller blonde couldn’t help but smile and wrap a supportive arm around her glowing sister. It had been a long and hard journey, and there had been times when she was ready to rip Charity’s head off, but she could tell that even after all that, they really were a good pair.

 

“Me too.”

 

“Look at you! You’re like a school girl who’s just had her first kiss!” The shopkeeper bumped hips with the DI slightly, the goofy expression on her face sickening.

 

“More than just a kiss.” She shot her sister a cheeky wink and bumped her back a bit more forcefully.

 

“You don’t say, I saw more than I’d like too when we walked in!” Tracy dramatically shivered as she thought back to the show the two had put on when she entered, she had just been thankful that Johnny was too young to realize what was going on.

 

“Charity’s right. Jealousy isn’t a great look on you.” Vanessa laughter caught Charity’s attention from her place on the floor, and the already huge smile on her face grew. She couldn’t believe that this was really happening, she finally had her own personal ray of sunshine and she didn’t want to mess that up...again.

 

Eventually, Tracy and Vanessa joined Charity and Johnny in the living room. Charity and Johnny continued on with their game of dinosaur school, as Paw Patrol played in the background. The morning flew by, Tracy filled Vanessa and Charity in on her upcoming remodelling of the shop, Charity and Johnny played with almost all of his toys and after a few hours Charity had to pull herself away to get dressed for work.

 

“Why go Char’tee?” Johnny whined once the blonde reappeared down the stairs fully dressed in her clothes from the previous day.

 

“I gotta get to work Kid, but don’t worry. Me and Mummy are gonna set up a little playdate for you and Moses very soon.” Charity pinched his rosy cheeks with ease like it was the most natural act in the world.

 

“Yay!”

 

“Thanks for help Trace, I owe you a drink on the house, within reason of course.” The barmaid shot an appreciative glance Tracy’s way, as she slipped her coat on.

 

“Such a charmer this one, don’t ever let her go Ness.” Tracy slapped Vanessa’s knee playfully, already enjoying the easy back and forth she and Charity had developed so naturally.

 

“I’ll walk you out.” Vanessa shook her head at her sister’s antics and quickly walked Charity out to the small porch and shut the living room door for a bit of much-desired privacy.

 

“I wish I didn’t have to work.” Charity whispered as she pulled Vanessa into her arms and stole a quick kiss.

 

“Me too...last night was…”

 

“I know.” Their smiles said it all, which Charity was thankful for. She wasn’t the best when it came to feelings, but she really wanted to try with Vanessa. Just a little bit at a time. “I’ll call you later, yeah.” Charity stole one last kiss, letting her lips linger for as long as she could before pulling away.

 

“I look forward to it Miss Dingle.” Vanessa blushed heavily, while their hands dangled between them, neither willing to let out until the last second.

 

“See ya DI Sunshine.” The barmaid whispered sweetly, as she took her leave. The cold village air felt refreshing on her face as she skipped down the steps of Tug Ghyll. She had spent the night with Vanessa Woodfield, she had held her in her arms and kissed her hot skin. Last night was amazing, and the events would have Charity on cloud nine for quite some time. Well, they would have if Cain hadn’t caught her slipping out of Vanessa’s house. He smelt trouble a mile away and was determined to get to the bottom of Charity’s newest obsession with the village copper, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As some of you may have noticed I haven’t been posting or writing as much lately. This is because I am back at university, and living away from home. I’m not usually one to ask for help, but I’m really struggling with money at the moment and due to that I haven’t been able to fully focus my attention on writing. I love all the writing that I do, and I love hearing back from all of you even more. If any of you could please help me out, I’d be so thankful. Also, anyone who donates will receive either early access to a chapter of one of my fics or a prompt of their choosing! If you can, please help me out, I am drowning in anxiety over money and I really will be so grateful! Love all of my readers!! 
> 
> Paypal Email: anonymouswriter2311@gmail.com
> 
> Remember to add a note with your username so I can get in contact and thank you personally for your generosity!


	20. Chapter 20

Cain didn’t consider himself to be a nosey person. He’d happily stay out of the village drama, and kick back with a cold six pack of beer. Except for when it came to his family. And like it or not, Charity was family. He knew that she was definitely up to something, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. It was small things at first that had caught his attention, the starry eyes, the daydreaming, the uncharacteristic smiles as she served. She was up to something, and Cain wanted to be clued in before it came back to bite her in the ass.

 

The pub was booming when Cain stepped inside, most of the village gathered around the small tables enjoying their evening after a long day at work. In the far corner, Cain caught a glimpse of his daughter and grandkids laughing and throwing beermats at each other, the sight bringing a small smile to his face.

 

“Alright, you lot?” Cain smirked as the two kids ran into his open arms and were lifted up into the air.

 

“Thought you had Isaac tonight?” Debbie eyed her Father up suspiciously as he sat and pinched a few of Sarah’s crisps.

 

“Still have time for a quick one.” He grunted. “Your Mum not on?” He tried to act as casual as possible as he scanned the pub for the blonde.

 

“She’s on break.” Debbie’s reply was sharp, “What’s got you so interested all of a sudden?”

 

“How about you two go an raid the back for more of these?” He smiled at the two curious kids and watched as they disappeared out the back. “Just wanted to talk to her about Ross, make sure she’s up to date.” Cain shrugged as he popped a handful of nuts into his mouth, his eyes never leaving the door to the back room.

 

“We talked to her about that the other day, and as far as I know there’s been no update.” The brunette woman smirked as her Dad’s face fell, hating when his daughter was able to catch him in a lie. “Why are you really so interested?”

 

“Can’t I show an interest in my family?”

 

“Please don’t tell me that you’re interested in Mum again?” Debbie mock gasped, as she playfully slapped her Dad’s arm.

 

“Don’t be daft.” The older man grunted, a small smile creeping onto his face as the kids ran back over with their arms filled with all the snacks the pub had to offer.

 

“Did Granny Charity let you lot take all those?” Debbie smiled brightly at her children as they dumped the snacks onto the table.

 

“Yep,” Jack said with a pop, filled to the brim with excitement.

 

“Really?” 

 

“Yes! She was meeting with someone so she said we could just take whatever.” Sarah jumped in, her innocent response catching her grandfather’s attention.

 

“Meeting with who exactly?”

 

“Dunno, just some blonde lady.” Sarah shrugged before digging into the mountain of snacks.

 

“I knew I smelt a pig.” Cain’s blood began to boil, he had a feeling that something was going on after he saw Charity leaving Tug Ghyll, but a part of him had wished that Charity had just been warning her away from their family.

 

“Dad! Leave it!” Debbie demanded, grabbing onto the sleeve of his jacket before he had a chance to stand. “DI Woodfield is only trying to help us.” She added, a little quieter than before.

 

“That’s what they want us to think Debs! They’re all the same them lot! And your Mum should know better at this point, we don’t mess about with coppers.”

 

“Yeah well, maybe she’s different.” Debbie smiled softly. She knew that Vanessa wasn’t trying anything like that with Charity. She knew that whatever was going on between them, it was the start of something good for her Mum.

 

“You know something that I don’t, don’t you?”

 

“I’m trying to stay out of everyone’s business these days.” She shrugged, not in the habit of getting involved in any family drama this year. “And you should too! Focus on Moira and Isaac, Mum doesn’t need a big gas monkey chasing after her!” All she received in return was an inaudible grunt, and for the time being that was enough.

 

***

 

Two bodies collided as soon as the creaky door shut. Mouths dancing together in a perfected rhythm, savouring every precious moment in between shifts. The past week had been nothing but pure bliss for Charity. Every waking moment had been spent thinking of Vanessa, thinking of her lips, her smile, her cute little nose wrinkle. Charity thought about it all, agonised over with second that they spent apart. She’d never felt like this before, not with Cain or any of the other men in her life. Her stomach jumped at the mere flash of blonde hair entering the pub, and her hands grew damp with sweat when she dared to think about the night they spent together. Being with Vanessa, holding her and kissing her, had been the perfect end to the perfect first date. And even now, as they embraced each other, Charity’s back pressed up against the bookshelf, Vanessa’s hands tangled in blonde locks and their lips pressed firmly together, it was as if the magic of their night together had followed them through the week.

 

“You do know that they’ll probably clear you out, right?” Vanessa muttered in-between fleeting kisses as Charity blindly steered them towards the sofa, not wanting to deal with a sore back for the rest of the week if she stayed pressed up against the bookshelf.

 

“Worth it, if I get uninterrupted this…” Charity purred, setting Vanessa’s entire body on fire with a single wink. “Is Johnny at your Dad’s tonight?” She whispered directly into the smaller woman’s ear, nibbling at her earlobe slightly as the words slipped out with ease.

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“I think another sleepover in order Detective.” The barmaid smirked as she forcefully pushed Vanessa backward onto the sofa before she quickly moved to straddle the shocked woman.

 

“What about Noah? And Moses?” Vanessa happily placed her hands on Charity’s glorious hips and pinched playfully.

 

“Debs will be here…I want to spend the night with you again.” Charity smiled shyly, her vulnerability seeping through the well-built wall. “And an empty house means no chance of any interruptions.” She smirked, the wall cementing itself back up again.

 

“How could I say no to that.” The DI giggled excitedly, only to be cut off by Charity's delicious lips once again. As the kiss deepened, hands began to wander south. Gripping, exploring. A slight pull of the hair, bite of the lip and moans began to fill the small back room. Clothes were slowly unbuttoned and tossed to one side with such giddiness that no one expects to come from Charity Dingle. Both women were completely oblivious to everything around them, both too infatuated with each other. Every touch and kiss well documented in their minds. Nothing around them mattered, both women wishing they live in this moment forever, so much so that they both failed to notice the small creak of the front door opening.

 

“Well, what do we have here?” Charity jumped to grab her top as her eyes landed on a very smug Joe Tate standing in her living room, and it was in this moment that Charity knew that she was completely screwed, because this was one hell of a secret and the perfect piece of ammunition that Joe had been looking for.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Between travelling and university work I haven't had much time to write. I'm not back to my usual update speed just yet, but just know that I haven't abandoned this! Also thanks for all the lovely comments recently, they really make my day whenever I read them!

“What the hell are you doing here?” Charity hissed as she quickly buttoned up her silky blouse, her cheeks red with a mixture of arousal, embarrassment, and anger. She had a whole load of plans for how their afternoon was going to pan out and having to throw clothes on in front of Joe freaking Tate was definitely not on her list.

 

“I knocked but no one answered, I can see why now.” Joe’s smug smirk grew as he looked over Charity’s shoulder to Vanessa, who was thankfully now fully dressed. “Nice to see you again Officer.”

 

“Detective.” Vanessa hissed under her breath as she stood behind Charity. Gently she rested her hand in the blondes back, making sure to keep the small contact out of view from the unwanted guest, only to have Charity move away from her touch. Vanessa wanted to be mad, but she knew that Charity had a long history with the Tate’s and her walls needed to stay firmly up whenever he was around.

 

“Whatever…I don’t think you’ll have much of a title left after this anyway, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t pay taxes so you can spend your work day in the back room of a run-down pub fornicating with a known criminal.” He smirked the vilest of smirks, tightening an invisible noose around Vanessa’s neck. Finally, he had dirt on Hotten’s newest arrival, and he wouldn’t think twice about using her to his advantage.

 

“What I do in my spare time is my business Mr Tate,” Vanessa stood her ground, going as far as to gently push past the taller silent woman.

 

“I think the badge and gun on the table is a big hint that this isn’t spare time.” His smirk intensified, a wave of nausea hitting Vanessa hard.

 

“Who cares! Now, are you going to tell me why you’re here or am I gonna have ta’ thump it out of you.” Charity spat, every fibre in her body keeping her anchored in place.

 

“Threatening me in front of an Officer, ballsey.” 

 

“I didn’t hear a threat, did you, Detective?” Charity smirked back, praying that Vanessa would have her back.

 

“Nope.” The shorter woman said with a pop, as she resisted the urge to reach out and comfort the blonde. She could see how much Joe’s presence alone was affecting her.

 

“You’ve really got yourself quite the little puppy dog here, and I thought you had more sense.” Joe casually sat on the edge of the table, making sure not to break the intimidating eye contact with Vanessa. “I wonder what your supervisor would think? Sleeping around on the job, with a Dingle nonetheless.” He added, his lips curling up as she watched the Detective squirm slightly under his gaze.

 

“He’s not going to find out! What Vanessa and I do is our business, and you can stick your privileged gob out of it!” Charity quickly jumped to Vanessa’s aid, the blonde feeling a strong urge to protect the smaller woman.

 

“Charity, I can handle him.” Vanessa placed her hand carefully on Charity’s arm, hoping to calm the blonde – if that was even possible at this current moment.

 

“You shouldn’t have to! Isn’t this breaking and entering?” The barmaid spat, looking to Vanessa for answers.

 

“Not when you have a key.” Joe chuckled as he jiggled a familiar set of keys in front of Charity.

 

“How the hel-”

 

“Debbie gave me it a few months ago, in case of emergencies.” He cut her off, taking great pleasure in throwing the small set of keys at Charity’s feet. This was the last straw for Charity, and before Joe even had the chance to open his privileged mouth once again, Charity was pouncing, ready to inflict as much damage as possible. She’d almost made it, her hands just inches away from his throat when she felt Vanessa pull her back and quickly plant her smaller body in front of Charity’s fuming one.

 

“Vanessa get out of my way.” She tried and failed to push past the frowning Detective.

 

“Don’t do something you’re going to regret Charity.” Vanessa hissed, more worry than anger laced in her voice. Charity breathed deeply, going over the endless amount of calming techniques she’s been taught over the years.

 

“I just want to get to know my brother, is that too much to ask for?” Joe shrugged, unaffected by Charity’s little outburst.

 

“Over my dead body!” Charity was once again restrained by Vanessa, who was ready to attack the man-child herself at this rate.

 

“What about my silence?” He smirked, his words catching Charity’s attention. “About this, about Detective Woodfield’s extra duties. If you two are hiding in here with all the doors locked, I take it this is something you’d like to keep quiet.” Vanessa was about to refuse when Charity quickly cut her off.

 

“Tomorrow afternoon. Noah has the dentist in the morning, and I’ve promised him the rest of the day off.”

 

“Charity!” Vanessa whisper-shouted, as the taller blonde made a point to avoid any eye contact with her.

 

“One hour. That’s all you get.”

 

“That’s acceptable.” Joe nodded, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

 

“And I’ll be here the whole time.” Charity pushed past a stunned Vanessa to square up to Joe.

 

“Understood. He’s my family Charity. I only want what’s best for him, you’ve got to believe me when I say that.” He added, for the first time seeming sincere as he spoke.

 

“You’ve got what you came for, now do one!” Charity spat, moving aside so he could leave. “Oh, one more thing.” She grabbed his arm violently, forcing Joe to face her. “You ever come into my home again, and I will do something that I won’t regret.” She whispered, unsure if Vanessa could hear her or not, but at the same time not caring.

 

“Detective.” He nodded at the silent blonde as he left, the once confident smirk wilting slightly.

 

The air was thick between the two women, neither daring to look at each other in the eye. Vanessa couldn’t believe what had just unfolded, her job threatened, and new-found relationship exposed, but that wasn’t what was bothering her. _Charity._ Charity was bothering her. She pulled away from her touch, threw herself under the bus out of fear and Vanessa couldn’t understand why. Surely, they’d gotten past this, Charity had promised her that she was all in, she’d said that this wasn’t just a game for her. So what changed? How had the woman who had been kissing her with such passion and lust moments ago, suddenly turned her back and moved away?

 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Vanessa whispered softly as she gently lowered herself onto the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I don’t care what he does…you didn’t have to give in because of me.”

 

“I didn’t.” Charity hissed back, quickly regretting it once her eyes landed on the look of pure hurt on Vanessa’s face. “Not entirely…I did it for us.” She moved swiftly towards the shorter woman, carefully taking a seat next to her. “My lot. They wouldn’t understand, not yet.” She muttered uncomfortably, tightly clasping her hands together on her lap, restraining herself from reaching out to touch Vanessa.

 

“You’re ashamed of this? Of us? Is it because I’m a woman?” Vanessa’s voice broke slightly. She’d been through this before, been stuck hiding a relationship because of shame.

 

“No! It’s got nothing to do with that, trust me!” Charity reached out and tangled their hands together, giving Vanessa’s hand a small reassuring squeeze. “Man, woman. None of that matters to my lot.”

 

“Then what is it? Why are you so worried about them knowing about us?” The shorter blonde finally snapped, breaking their intertwined hands as she stood abruptly. “What is it you are hiding from me Charity?” She pressed, the barmaids silence only angering her more as she impatiently waited for a response.

 

Charity ran a shaky hand through her messy hair, making her wish that she could be back in Vanessa’s strong arms once again, back when Vanessa wasn’t mad or upset, back when she didn’t have Joe Tate blackmailing his way into Noah’s life and succeeding. Softly her eyes met Vanessa’s, she knew that she couldn’t – no shouldn’t – keep her in the dark anymore. “It’s what you do...you’re a copper Vanessa.” Charity’s eyes fell to her lap, afraid of what was to come next. She would never ask Vanessa to change who she was, and she knew that Vanessa wasn’t that kind of person who was even consider changing for someone else. She was strong-willed, stubborn, and completely in love with her job and Charity loved that about her, not that _love_ was a word she was even close to embracing or even acknowledging.

 

Charity was sure that she had messed things up once again, that was until she heard a soft chuckle escape from Vanessa’s lips and quickly turn into a hearty laugh. “Seriously Charity? You want us to sneak around because I just so happen to carry a gun and badge?”

 

“It’s not funny Ness. We don’t mix with coppers, it’s not in our blood.” The taller blonde pouted, before being quickly engulfed by Vanessa homely arms.

 

“Well, you seem to enjoy mixing with a certain copper.” She smirked at the woman in her arms, before littering her neck with hundreds of little kisses, full of relief now that she knew she wasn’t what Charity was ashamed of.

 

“Yeah, well I’ve never been a rule follower.”

 

“I never would have guessed.” Vanessa captured Charity’s lips, happily savouring every second.

 

“I will tell them. Just not yet, they need a little warming up first.” Charity whispered as they broke apart, foreheads rested against each other.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay?” The barmaid smiled shyly, half expecting Vanessa to drop her like a bag of spuds.

 

“I trust you Charity.” The shorter blonde rolled her eyes playfully as she brought her hand up to gently brush a strand of wild hair behind Charity’s ear. “Just promise that you’ll be honest with me?”

 

“I promise…” Charity gave a small nod, just about enough emotion put into it as she could muster without a breakdown.

 

“Now, where were we?” Vanessa smirked, her hands already beginning to unbutton Charity’s shirt for the second time that day.

 

“I think.” Vanessa let out a small squeak as Charity pulled her onto her lap. “I was about to mix with my favourite copper.” Clothes soon found their way to the floor and the two women happily lost themselves in each other, neither quite ready to deal with the shit-storm that was coming their way.


	22. Chapter 22

Vanessa sat at her desk; her eyes glued to the slowly changing numbers on the digital clock on her computer. Any moment now Joe Tate would be knocking on Charity’s door, invading Noah’s life, all because they had gotten caught. Vanessa had been kicking herself all night, and she wished more than anything that she could protect Charity from the Tate’s, but Joe had her right where he wanted her, and she despised him for that. Vanessa joined the force to try and make the world a better place for her son, and now she was at the mercy of a spoilt man-child with a sick revenge plot. Breaking free from Joe’s clutches wasn’t impossible, she knew all it would take it making her relationship with Charity an official and a public one, but she also knew that Charity wasn’t ready for that step, no matter how ready she was herself. Vanessa wished that she could just burst into the pub and scream it from the top of her lungs and wipe the smug smirk from his entitled gob, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Not until Charity was ready to commit,  ready to tell her family about their pending relationship.

 

“Woodfield! Plan on getting your head out of the clouds at some point today?” Matthew’s unusually sharp voice cut through her inner dialogue with herself, the same back and forth that had been plaguing her mind for the last few days quickly pushed to the back of her mind once again.

 

“Sorry, didn’t get much sleep last night.” It wasn’t a lie, she was exhausted, but even on zero hours of sleep, she had always made a point to stay alert. In her line of work, her life depended on her mind staying sharp.

 

“Your bed or hers?” He winked; his usual disgusting smirk plastered on his crumb-covered face once again.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, perv.” Vanessa shot back, her own smirk out-shining his.

 

“There she is.” The older man laughed before pulling himself out of his well-used desk chair and let out an ungodly yawn as he stretched. “Hear about the new task force? Some stiff from Middleham is heading it up, proper good promotion.”

 

“You planning on applying?”

 

“Me, nah. I’m past my sell-by date.” Matthews chuckled deeply, before resting his hand on Vanessa’s shoulder in a fatherly fashion. “Don’t like something like this pass you by Woodfield. Learn from my mistakes partner.” With one last squeeze on her shoulder, Matthews muttered something about a coffee run and waddled away.

 

A small smile couldn’t help but creep onto Vanessa’s face as she watched the older man busy himself at the coffee pot. She hadn’t expected to grow to enjoy his company as much as she does, and she didn’t want for that to end. But the thought of a promotion excited Vanessa, and this task force was the perfect next step in her career. She’d be a fool to not try and score an exclusive place on that team, and a fool was one thing Vanessa prided herself on never being.

 

 

***

 

Charity had been a nervous wreck all morning, and it was starting to get on Noah’s nerves, big time. With their latest argument still hanging over their heads, any time spent alone was met with deafening silence. Noah hated fighting with Mum, but he wasn’t going to back down. He wanted the chance to get to know Joe, no matter what his Mother said. With the afternoon off of school and a clean bill of health from the dentist, the teenage boy was gearing up for an unauthorised trip to Home Farm, when Charity gently knocked on his door and poked her head in.

 

“Hey...can we talk for a sec?” She smiled an uncharacteristic gently smile, the ones saved solely for her children.

 

“I’m going out,” Noah stated bluntly as he shoved his phone charger into his bag.

 

“Noah, please just hear me out.” Charity finally stepped into the room, closing the door and shutting away any nosey Dingle ears. “I know you think I’m overreacting, but I just don’t want you to get hurt babes.”

 

“Shouldn’t it be my choice though? He’s my brother, not yours.” Noah snapped in response, his fair cheeks starting to redden with anger.

 

“You’re right...which is why Joe is coming over in a bit.” The blonde reluctantly sent a small smile his way, her heart crumbling as his usual snarky face softened into an excited smile.

 

“Seriously?” His smile brightened as Charity nodded in confirmation, prompting the teenager to throw his arms around his Mum and hug her tight. “Thanks, Mum...and I’m sorry, for everything I said.”

 

“I hate seeing you mad at me Noah, even if I do deserve it most times.” Charity held her son for as long as possible, hoping and praying that he’d still want to know her after Joe was finished with him. The loving embrace was quickly ended when the echoes of the doorbell rang through the house.

 

“Is that him?” Noah asked as he pulled away from his Mum.

 

“I’d reckon.” The blonde nodded weakly. “Noah babe, I don’t want to see you hurt...and Joe-”

 

“I know what he did to Debs,” He nodded knowingly, “I just want to try Mum.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere, you hear.” She winked playfully, trusting Noah’s decision to get know Joe, even if it did turn her stomach at the thought.

 

The trio sat in an awkward silence as they waited for the kettle to bowl. Joe wore his signature smirk, silently taunting Charity with the knowledge of her relationship with Vanessa.

 

Noah had so many questions dancing around in his mind, he wanted to know everything about Joe’s life, his relationship with their Dad, his childhood, but most importantly he wanted to know why he decided to come back now.

 

“Black I take it?” Charity snarled as the kettle ticked off.

 

“Milk, three sugars.” Joe matched her snarl, forgetting completely that he’d come for Noah and not to aggravate Charity.

 

“Can you two stop for a few minutes?” The young man snapped, acting the only adult in the room. “Mum if you have to be here-”

 

“I do!”

 

“Can you please just take a step back? I’ve got to do this on my own.” He pleaded, a small twinge of sadness flickering onto his face. Charity knew that she had to play nice, for Noah’s sake. The blonde nodded defeatedly as she moved to the kitchen to pour the teas.

 

“I’m sorry Noah. I shouldn’t let how I feel about your Mother get in the way of what’s important.” Joe dropped his signature smirk and smiled genuinely for the first time since arriving in the village.

 

“Let’s get started then,” Noah smirked that Dingle smirk just as Charity placed the two cups of tea on the table.

 

***

 

Charity was taken aback by how honest Joe was being with Noah. He didn’t sugar-coat his rocky relationship with his Dad, especially when he spoke about his time at boarding school and how he had coped with his death. He played nice when talking about the investigation into his Dad’s death, sparing Noah the pain that would come if he were to start blaming Charity again. He spoke briefly about his intentions with Debbie, hearing him even mention her name made Charity’s blood start to boil. But it was towards the end of his time with Noah, that really caused Charity to begin to see Joe in a new light. He spoke of how he regretted not reaching out to Noah sooner, and how he wanted to mend bridges between him and Noah. Having spent just over his allowed hour with Noah, Joe bid his brother farewell and promised that he’d talk again soon and much to Charity’s dismay, Noah seemed excited at the notion.

 

Charity and Noah sat in a thick silence after Joe left, the only sound coming from the crowded pub as the nightly rush began.

 

“Chippy tea?” Charity muttered, her voice wavering.

 

“Thanks, Mum.” Noah wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her into his arms for the second time that day - not that Charity was complaining - and muttering a soft ‘I love you’ into her hair.

 

“I’d do anything for you babes, you know that right?” Charity’s eyes glistened with fresh tears daring to break free from containment.

 

“I know Mum...today was a good start, wasn’t it? Wait and see, once we get everything sorted there won’t be any more fighting.” Noah beamed with hope and happiness, his dream of a proper family so close he could almost reach out and grab it.

 

“Babes, I don’t think-” A gentle knock on the backdoor caused the blonde to pause, providing the blonde with a much needed out for the bubble she was about to burst and dreams she was about to crush. Swiftly Charity moved through the small living room, with a curious Noah hot on her tail, silently hoping that it would be Joe at the other side of the door once again. 

 

“Hey...” Vanessa smiled sweetly as her eyes met Charity’s, she was so revealed to finally be able to see the blonde that she as having to fight the urge to reach out and pull her into her arms with no intention of letting her go, but all that was washed away momentarily when her eyes landed on an annoyed Noah over Charity’s shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt.”

 

“Then don’t.” Noah snarled his hatred for the police something that has been well and truly engraved into his system.

 

“Noah!” Charity hissed under her breath as she turned to glare at the moody teenager.

 

“Whatever, call me when tea’s here.” He shrugged before storming up the stairs, all his happiness used up for the day.

 

“I’m so sorry, I saw Joe leave and thought that I’d be safe for me to come in.” Vanessa quietly apologised as Charity moved aside to let her into the small home.

 

“It’s alright, I’m glad you’re here.” The barmaid grinned like a school girl as she laid the smaller woman into the living room, before turning to face her. “C’mere.” Charity opened her arms, inviting Vanessa into them without a second thought. Vanessa melted into the embrace, feeling the stress of the day slowly begin to fade away.

 

“I’ve been worried sick all day.” The DI whispered into Charity’s mane of hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume as she placed a small kiss on the crook of her neck.

 

“You and me both.” Charity pulled away slightly so that they could settle themselves on the sofa, hands clasped together tightly. “You should have seen his face, all smug. I had to try so hard not to blow up.” The blonde vents, the anger in her beginning to rise once again.

 

“How was he with Noah?” Vanessa asked, trying not to seem like she was fishing for gossip – which she wasn’t – and instead was actually worried about the well-being of Charity’s son.

 

“He’s perfected the big brother act if that’s what you mean.” The barmaid sighed dropping Vanessa’s hand as she dragged both of hers through her messy hair, gently massaging her scalp in hopes that it would stave off the pending headache. “I think this might have been a bad idea, Ness. Noah thinks that we can be this big happy family now, and I can’t bear to think what will happen when Joe’s bored of him.” She muttered, her hands still buried in her hair and her eyes glued to her lap.

 

“I wish you didn’t have to go through with this.” Vanessa placed a loving hand on Charity’s leg, squeezing it gently as she watched the stressed blonde.

 

“I haven’t got a choice Vanessa...not yet anyway.” Charity met Vanessa’s gaze once again, her eyes apologetic and full of worry. This pained the shorter blonde, and she wished more than anything that they didn’t have to hide away more. But she also knew that this had to be on Charity’s terms, it was her family with the problem and Vanessa had no desire to push her into something she wasn’t ready for.

 

“I know...I know.” The smaller woman wrapped her arms around the exhausted looking blonde, pulling her into her arms and placing a few scattered kisses into her hair. She knew that this was exactly what they both needed, even if it only lasted a few minutes.


	23. Chapter 23

Her Chief had closed the Dingle case, once again dismissing Vanessa’s evidence against Joe Tate. The blonde was beyond pissed. She’d spent the better part of two weeks building her case, writing up reports, calling around all the different demolition companies, doing anything in her power to find a link to the Tate’s. And while her investigation had come up empty, she still believed wholeheartedly that he was behind it. After everything the Dingle’s had told her about their relationship with the Tate’s, there was no one else that would have the motive to do something so horrible.

 

Vanessa was on her break when she’d gotten the call from her Chief, telling her to back off and find a new case to obsess over. But Vanessa wasn’t done, not yet. So instead of her usual make-out session with Charity, she sent a quick apology text and headed straight for Home Farm.

 

Vanessa was used to large houses, but Home Farm was like nothing she’d ever seen before and she hated to think it, but it put her little cottage to shame. The pristine brick walls and fresh green ivy sculpted to perfection. It was beautiful, too beautiful for a man like Joe Tate - Vanessa huffed as she drove up the long driveway, rolling her eyes at the perfectly polished cars parked outside.

 

The house was motionless, too big to notice one person moving around. Vanessa stayed seated in her car, contemplating her next move. This was ballsy, and she knew that if she got caught, she could run the risk of losing her job. But she was so close, and this was the reason she joined the force in the first place, to protect people, to give them a voice when no one else would listen. She wanted to make sure that people like Joe Tate, people who walked around like they owned the place, couldn’t get away with hurting anyone they wanted.

 

The piercing sound of Matthews’ ringtone broke her intense staring contest with the house. “Woodfield.” She answered her voice monotone and clearly displaying her current distraction.

 

“Chief’s lookin’ for ya partner.” The older man snapped, slightly annoyed that his partner had gone out on a job without him.

 

“I was just on the phone with him, what else could he want?” Vanessa’s attention snapped back to the phone, her heart racing thinking that somehow, she’d already been caught, that somehow Joe had seen her sitting in the driveway and called her boss straight away - which was a possibility, that Vanessa hadn’t taken into account when she’d angrily sped up to the mansion.

 

“Beats me, just wants you back soon as.” He fake yawned, trying to act like he didn’t have any interest in Vanessa or what she was up too.

 

“Well tell him I’m on a case.” She shook away her fears, her mind set back on Joe Tate.

 

“That wouldn’t be the case he just pulled, would it?” Matthews interest suddenly peaked, the worry he felt for his partner slipping into his voice.

 

“How daft do you think I am?” Vanessa snorted; her gaze shifted back to the mansion.

 

“Watch yourself, partner.” He nodded, although Vanessa obviously couldn’t see him. But she knew that her secret would be safe with the older man, he had her back no matter what. “I’ll tell Chief you had a kid emergency.”

 

“Matthew’s...thanks.” The DI smiled meekly as the line went dead. She knew that she should have brought back up with her and that Matthews would have jumped at the chance to help her, even if he didn’t agree with what she was doing, but this was something that Vanessa needed to do on her own.

 

Knowing that her partner had her back heightened Vanessa’s confidence, and only made her desire to take Tate down intensify. But she wouldn’t break the law to do so, she wasn’t going to stoop to his level. Reluctantly she removed her badge from the inside of her pale blue blazer and locked away her gun in the mini safe she kept under the passenger seat. With a white-knuckle tight grip on the steering wheel, Vanessa breathed deeply as she failed to notice her person of interest approach.

 

With a sharp knock to the driver’s side window, Vanessa let out a small yelp before furrowing her eyebrows once she realised who was smiling down at her. “Afternoon Detective,” Joe smirked as she rolled down the window. “I suspect this little visit has something to do with a certain trashy barma-” Vanessa violently pushed her down open, stopping the cocky man in his tracks.

 

“Don’t you even think about finishing that sentence if you know what’s good for ya!” She spat, her neck turning a deep shade of red as the anger bubbled up inside her.

 

“Feisty, I can see the appeal.” Joe smugly gave the Detective the once over, making Vanessa’s skin crawl. “But what I don’t understand is you.” He added with a pop, his eyes narrowing as moved to lean against Vanessa’s blue bumper.

 

“What about me?”

 

“Why are you wasting your time with the Dingles? Haven’t you noticed that they cause you nothing but trouble?” He sighed and crossed his arms tightly, his plan to weasel his way into Vanessa’s head taking flight.

 

“And I suppose I’d have no trouble if I were to take your side?” Vanessa mimicked his actions, not falling victim to Joe Tate’s attempt at manipulating her.

 

“You’d be working for someone on the right side of the law Detective.” His smile oozed cockiness, this little act no doubt perfected over time.

 

“Someone that evicts two children and their Mother after Christmas? Or someone who knocks down a family home, almost crushing their own brothe-”

 

“I had no idea that he was in that house?!” Joe snapped, his outburst not affecting Vanessa whatsoever.

 

“So you admit that you were involved?” Vanessa smirked, finally she had Joe Tate cornered. She knew that she could never use this information, not officially, but it would give the Dingles closure and their own dirt against Joe in the long run.

 

“Involved or not, there’s nothing you can do about it, Detective.” Joe snorted as he pushed past her, determined to get away before it let anything else slip.

 

“Was it worth it?” Vanessa called out, prompting him to stop in his tracks. “Destroying the home where they raised their children, where they’d all gather around to celebrate and mourn?” She walked closer as she watched his usual cocky demeanour tense and stiffen.

 

“That family took everything from me,” Joe whispered, his eyes narrowing at the mansion in front of him.

 

“Your wealth? Nope. Your house? Nope. Your life? Unfortunately not.” Vanessa continued to poke at him, determined to push him to the edge. “Then what? What could the Dingles have done that was so bad?”

 

“She took my father, she bled him dry and forced him to kill himself!” Vanessa fell silent, it didn’t take a genius to guess who was the ‘she’ Joe was referring too. “Watch your back Detective, or it will be your funeral next.”

 

“Charity had nothing to do with your Father’s death or the fire.” “I don’t know much about their relationship, but they had Noah and I know that Charity would never do anything to hurt her children.”

 

“Something like try and sell them?” “Not get to that part of her past?”

 

“She’d never…”

 

“Don’t believe me? Go and ask lover girl about Zoe Tate.” “Thanks for the visit, it’s been riveting as always.”

 

“Stay away from her.”

 

“No promises.”

 

She knew Charity had a past, a colourful one if her file was anything to go by, but she refused to believe a word that came out of Joe’s mouth. Not until she talked to Charity first.


End file.
